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A  BOOK  OF 


CARNEGIE   LIBRARIES 


T.W.KOCH 


A    BOOK   OF   CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 


aU 


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I   U     i     \  I'M  (,ll 


A  BOOK 


OF 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 


BY 

THEODORE   WESLEY   KOCH 


THE  H.  W.  WILSON  COMPANY 

WHITE   PLAINS,  N.  Y.,  and   NEW  YORK   CITY 

1917 


Copyright,  TQO?,  IQIJ 
By  Theodore  W.  Koch 


G1^ 


PREFACE 


SRLF 


• 


For  the  delay  that  has  made  this  volume  so  far  behind  the 
plates  which  it  was  designed  to  accompany  I  make  no  apology. 
A  combination  of  circumstances  has  prevented  its  earlier  com- 
pletion, and  it  has  seemed  better  to  follow  the  lines  originally 
laid  down  for  the  work,  rather  than  to  delay  it  for  still  further 
revision.  Plates  and  text  together  may  have  at  least  an  histori- 
cal value,  and  the  library  building  development  of  the  last  dec- 
ade might  well  be  made  the  subject  of  a  supplementary  volume. 
The  list  of  plates  printed  to  accompany  the  original  portfolio  is 
bound  with  the  present  volume,  as  it  contains  in  handy  form  for 
reference  the  names  of  architects  and  in  some  cases  the  amount 
of  Carnegie  donations.  In  making  up  the  book,  however,  it  has 
seemed  advisable  to  rearrange  the  plates  somewhat,  and  the  list 
cannot  be  used  as  an  index  to  the  illustrations. 

I  am  indebted  to  the  publishers  of  the  Century  Magazine  for 
their  kind  permission  to  reprint  the  valuable  article  by  Mr.  Mabie, 
and  likewise  to  the  publishers  of  the  Criterion  Magazine  for  the 
use  of  Dr.  Bostwick's  discussion  of  "  Carnegie  Libraries  and 
Good  Reading."  To  the  many  friends  in  the  library  profession 
who  so  cheerfully  aided  me  to  secure  the  necessary  data  for  the 
description  of  their  buildings,  and  to  all  who  have  helped  me  to 
bring  the  work  to  its  conclusion,  I  give  my  most  sincere  thanks. 

T.  W.  K. 


INTRODUCTION 

The  generosity  of  Andrew  Carnegie  in  the  library  gifts,  which 
are  the  greatest  single  benefaction  in  library  history,  has  had 
purpose  and  result  much  broader  than  the  mere  building  of 
public  libraries.  Like  his  rival  in  large  giving,  John  D.  Rocke- 
feller, Mr.  Carnegie  has  sought  through  his  giving  to  stimulate 
public  spirit,  to  raise  standards,  and  to  provide  for  social  better- 
ment, not  by  way  of  by-products,  but  as  a  chief  aim.  Thus  he 
has  made  fundamental  conditions  of  his  library  gifts,  that  the 
community  should  provide  a  site  and  that  adequate  mainte- 
nance, usually  a  tithe  annually  on  the  cost  of  the  building 
should  be  assured,  making  himself  a  co-partner  with  the  local 
citizenry  in  providing  that  people's  university  which  in  so  many 
American  cities  and  towns  is  to-day  a  central  feature  of  archi- 
tecture and  of  community  life. 

In  1907  Mr.  Theodore  W.  Koch,  in  appreciation  of  the  pub- 
lic spirit  of  Mr.  Carnegie,  undertook  in  his  leisure  time  the  pub- 
lic service  to  libraries  and  to  the  community  of  collecting  plans 
and  illustrations  of  typical  or  notable  Carnegie  buildings  erected 
up  to  that  date.  The  portfolio  which  resulted  from  that  collec- 
tion has  been  a  useful  presentation  of  library  architecture,  but 
it  has  lacked  until  now  the  accompanying  text  which  should 
explain  and  describe  the  buildings  illustrated.  Mr.  Koch's  in- 
creasingly engrossing  labors  and  other  circumstances  prevented 
earlier  publication  of  the  present  volume,  which  brings  the  story 
of  Mr.  Carnegie's  gifts  up  to  ten  years  ago.  This  volume  in- 
cludes with  its  text  the  illustrations  of  the  portfolio  collection. 

There  has  been  no  attempt  to  cover  the  succeeding  ten  years, 
beyond  brief  mention  of  the  Carnegie  Corporation,  organized  in 
191 1  to  continue  permanently  Mr.  Carnegie's  benefactions  and 
to  relieve  him  of  the  personal  strain  of  this  work.  It  is  a  cor- 
relative of  the  Carnegie  Foundation  and  of  the  Carnegie  Insti- 
tution, each  doing  altruistic  work  in  its  separate  field.  Up  to 
the  year  1907  Mr.  Carnegie's  library  gifts  had  provided  for 
1636  library  buildings,  covering  grants  of  $44,545,742 —  1014, 

vii 


INTRODUCTION 

representing  $32,734,267,  in  the  United  States,  and  the  others 
dotted  over  England,  Wales,  and  Scotland,  Canada,  South 
Africa,  and  other  parts  of  the  English-speaking  world.  A 
decade  later,  up  to  191 7,  the  total  grants  promised  by  Mr.  Car- 
negie personally,  and  by  the  Carnegie  Corporation,  had  pro- 
vided for  2865  buildings  amounting  to  $65,069,684.44,  in  itself 
an  enormous  fortune.  It  would  be  unfair  not  to  recognize  at 
this  writing  the  part  of  Mr.  James  Bertram,  first,  as  Mr.  Car- 
negie's personal  secretary  for  library  purposes,  and  later  as 
secretary  of  the  Carnegie  Corporation,  and  as  the  general  chan- 
nel of  Mr.  Carnegie's  library  generosity. 

The  earlier  buildings  figuring  in  the  illustrations  and  de- 
scribed in  the  present  volume  show  the  development  of  library 
architecture  under  the  early  stimulus  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  gifts. 
In  that  time  there  was  great  progress,  and  in  these  later  years 
there  has  been  greater  progress.  Some  features  of  these  earlier 
buildings  have  been  developed  into  greater  usefulness  and 
beauty,  while  others  have  not  had  so  happy  an  experience,  but 
have  done  their  part  in  the  evolution  of  the  present  library 
building,  as  early  experiments  to  be  discarded  in  favor  of  better 
methods.  This  is  the  story  of  all  good  development,  and  the 
text  and  illustrations  of  the  present  volume  should  be  studied 
with  careful  discrimination  as  to  what  should  be  avoided  and 
what  copied  or  developed.  In  the  past  few  years  the  Carnegie 
Corporation  has  worked  out  improved  standards,  especially  for 
small  library  buildings,  which  represent  a  happy  combination  of 
good  architecture  and  practical  administration.  It  is  perhaps 
not  out  of  place  here  to  emphasize  the  thought  that  a  Carnegie 
library,  while  attractive  in  exterior,  should  be  fundamentally  of 
sound  architecture,  answering  to  practical  needs  and  economy 
of  maintenance.  To-day  the  Carnegie  name  is  associated  with 
good  architecture  in  thousands  of  places  in  this  country  and 
elsewhere,  thus  providing  a  monument  more  impressive,  more 
useful,  and  more  lasting  than  can  be  associated  with  any  other 
life  or  name. 

R.  R.  BOWKER. 


Vlll 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  pAGK 

I.  Andrew  Carnegie 1-6 

A  character  sketch  by  Hamilton  W.  Mabie. 

II.  Method  of  Giving 7-16 

The  "Gospel  of  Wealth."  —  Mr.  Carnegie's  library  creed.  —  Colonel  James 
Anderson  of  Allegheny  and  his  Library  Institute. — The  Anderson  Memo- 
rial.—  Methods  of  giving.  —  President  Roosevelt  on  Carnegie  libraries. — 
The  maintenance  requirement.  —  The  value  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  example. — 
quoted.  —  Carnegie  Corporation  organized.  —  Total  benefactions  to  Jan.  i, 
1917. 

III.  Documents    Relating   to    the    Establishment    of    the 

New  York  City  Branches 19-33 

IV.  The  Architecture  of  the  Manhattan  Branches      .     .  34-41 

The  nature  of  the  branches.  —  The  architecture  a  compromise.  —  Uniformity 
of  design.  —  The  general  type  described.  —  Conditions  imposed  by  the 
trustees.  —  Text  of  the  agreement  between  the  architects  [and  trustees. 

V.  Carnegie  Libraries  and  Good  Reading,  by  Arthur  E. 

Bostwick 42-49 

The  growth  of  the  library  movement.  —  The  increase  in  reading.  —  The  need 
for  metropolitan  branch  libraries.  —  Quality  of  the  reading  done.  —  The  per- 
centage of  fiction.  —  The  development  of  circulating  libraries  in  New  York. 

VI.  Reaching  the  People 50-61 

The  opening  of  the  first  of  the  Carnegie  branches  in  New  York  City.  —  Open- 
ing of  the  Hudson  Park  Branch.  —  Work  on  the  East  Side.  —  The  open-air 
reading  room.  The  Yorkville  and  Rivington  Street  Branches.  —  Hudson 
Park,  Mott  Haven,  and  other  branches. 

VII.  The  Brooklyn  Branches 62-78 

Report  of  the  consulting  architect.  —  The  determination  of  the  type  of  branch 
buildings  to  be  erected.  —  The  question  of  uniformity  of  style.  —  The  number 
of  architects  and  the  method  of  their  selection.  — Instructions  to  architects. 

VIII.  Eastern  Libraries 79~94 

Melrose  and  Clinton,  Mass.  —  Norwalk,  Conn.  —  Philadelphia,  Pa. —  Syra- 
cuse and  Binghamton,  N.  Y.  — Johnstown  and  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.  — East 
Orange,  N.  J. 

IX.  The  Public  Library  of  the  District  of  Columbia     .  95-103 

History  of  the  Library.  —  The  work  under  way. — Children's  room. — 
Lecture  hall  and  study  room.  —  Reaching  out  among  the  people.  —  Plans 
for  the  future.  —  Remarks  of  President  Roosevelt  and  Mr.  Carnegie  at  the 
dedicatioa 

ix 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

X.  The  South 104-121 

The  traveling  library  of  Hagerstown,  Md.  —  Carnegie  Library  of  Atlanta, 
Ga.  —  Nashville  and  Chattanooga,  Tenn.  —  Norfolk,  Va.  —  Tuskegee,  Ala. 
—  Jacksonville,  Florida. 

XI.  Pittsburg 122-138 

Carnegie  Institute,  physically  the  largest  of  the  institutions  founded  by  Mr. 
Carnegie.  —  History,  of  the  library  movement  in  Pittsburg.  —  Branch  libra- 
ries. —  The  enlargement  of  the  Institute. 

XII.  Ohio  and  Michigan 139-151 

Branch  libraries  in  Cincinnati.  —  Development  of  branch  libraries  in  Cleve- 
land.—  Work  with  children  at  the  Broadway  branch.  — The  Miles  Park  and 
the  Woodland  branches.  —  Home  libraries.  —  Port  Huron,  Michigan. 

XIII.  Wisconsin  and  the  Middle  West 152-165 

Madison,  Wisconsin.  —  The  essentials  of  library  architecture.  —  Elkhart,  In- 
diana. —  Freeport  and  Streator,  Illinois.  —  Kaukauna  and  Baraboo,  Wis- 
consin. 

XIV.  Iowa  and  the  Farther  West 166-182 

Carnegie  libraries  in  Iowa.  —  Monticello,  Marshalltown,  and  Eldora  as 
typical  of  small  libraries  designed  by  Patton  &  Miller. —  Davenport,  Iowa.  — 
Leavenworth,  Kansas.  —  Lincoln,  Nebraska.  —  Springfield  and  Sedalia, 
Missouri. 

XV.  The  Southwest  and  the  Rocky  Mountain  Region    .  183-193 

Dallas  and  Fort  Worth,  Texas.  —  Cheyenne,  Wyoming.  —  Colorado  Springs. 

XVI.  California 194-206 

San  Diego.  —  Oakland.  —  Alameda.  —  San  Jose\  —  Riverside.  —  Pomona.  — 
Santa  Ana. 

XVII.  Library  Planning 207-220 

Responsibility  of  the  library  board.  —  Necessity  for  cooperation  between 
architect  and  librarian. —  First  work  must  be  done  by  the  librarian.  — Con- 
siderations entering  into  the  planning  of  the  library.  —  Circular  of  information 
issued  by  the  Carnegie  Corporation.  —  The  essentials  of  a  small  building.  — 
Mr.  John  Cotton  Dana's  views.  —  Location  of  the  stacks.  —  Location  of 
the  librarian's  room.  —  The  question  of  the  auditorium.  —  Planning  for  a 
£20,000  building.  —  Planning  for  a  #50,000  building.  — Conclusion. 

Index  to  Text 221 

Index  to  Plates 225 

Appendix  —  List  of  Plates 

An  index  of  illustrations  will  be  found  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 


A    BOOK   OF   CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES   IN 
THE    UNITED    STATES 

CHAPTER   I 
ANDREW   CARNEGIE 

A  Character  Sketch  by  Hamilton  W.  Mabie.1 

SOCIETY  is  fast  becoming  richer  than  was  foreshadowed 
in  the  most  audacious  dreams  of  the  past.  Measured  by 
the  standards  of  to-day,  Crcesus  was  a  person  of  very 
moderate  fortune ;  and  the  revenues  of  kings  are  of  small  ac- 
count compared  with  the  incomes  of  the  leading  capitalists  of 
the  twentieth  century.  There  are  those  who  think  that  the 
recent  production  of  wealth  is  abnormal  and  who  are  predicting 
a  return  to  the  old  scale  of  values  in  the  near  future.  There  are, 
however,  no  signs  of  any  reduction  of  energy,  any  decline  of 
force,  any  exhaustion  either  of  the  genius  which  creates  wealth 
or  of  the  material  out  of  which  wealth  is  developed.  There  are, 
on  the  contrary,  many  things  which  indicate  that  society  is  in 
the  early  stages  of  a  wealth-producing  period,  the  like  of  which 
has  not  only  not  occurred  before,  but  has  never  been  anticipated 
by  the  most  sanguine  men  of  affairs.  Great  changes  will  un- 
doubtedly be  made  in  the  methods  of  distribution  of  wealth,  but 
there  will  be  no  diminution  in  its  production.  Historic  proc- 
esses are  now  bearing  the  slow  fruitage  of  time  in  the  opening 
up  of  the  entire  globe,  the  drawing  together  of  races  in  free 
competition  in  the  field  of  the  world,  the  discovery  of  the  magi- 
cal power  of  co-operation  and  combination  and  their  application 
to  commerce  and  trade  on  a  great  scale,  and,  above  all,  the  ap- 
plication of  science  to  business  in  all  departments,  from  the  uses 
of  chemistry  in  manufacturing  to  the  uses  of  electricity  in  swift 
communication  and  conveyance  of  goods. 

1  From  the  Century  Magazine,  October,  1902,  pp.  956-958. 
I  I 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

It  is  probable  that  the  severest  test  to  which  society  is  to  be 
subjected  lies  before  it  in  the  opulence  of  the  near  future,  and 
there  is  good  ground  for  the  forebodings  of  those  who  fear  that 
in  the  greatness  of  their  material  fortunes  the  spiritual  fortunes 
of  men  will  suffer  permanent  eclipse.  The  great  races  have 
been  great  by  virtue  not  of  possessions,  but  of  ideas,  convic- 
tions, and  character;  and  in  this  respect  it  is  not  dogmatic  to 
affirm  that  history  will  repeat  itself. 

The  problem  of  the  near  future  will  be  to  keep  the  spirit  in 
command  of  the  body,  the  mind  superior  to  the  hand,  the  idea 
supreme  above  the  material  which  gives  it  concrete  expression. 
That  problem  will  not  be  solved  by  any  form  of  asceticism,  by 
the  preaching  of  poverty,  by  repression  of  the  full  and  free  play 
of  human  energy.  Safety  lies  not  in  the  mutilation  of  man  as 
God  made  him,  but  in  persuading  him  to  accept  a  true  scale  of 
values,  a  real  appraisement  of  his  possessions.  A  complicated 
problem  is  never  solved  by  going  backward ;  it  is  solved  by  going 
forward.  Society  will  not  be  saved  by  making  it  poor,  but  by 
making  it  strong.  So  long  as  the  genius  of  man  has  such  subtle 
powers  of  insight,  discovery,  and  adaptation,  and  so  long  as  the 
earth  on  which  he  lives  supplies  him  so  abundantly  with  force, 
material,  and  method,  it  is  as  idle  to  ask  him  to  limit  production 
as  to  invite  him  to  commit  suicide;  he  works,  and  he  will  work 
with  an  increasing  skill,  by  the  law  of  his  nature,  and  he  will 
grow  rich  by  the  law  of  the  world  in  which  he  works.  The  only 
real  question,  therefore,  is,  What  shall  he  do  with  his  wealth? 

This  question  is  probably  more  fundamental  than  any  polit- 
ical or  economical  question  now  in  discussion,  and  Mr.  Car- 
negie's answer  to  it  has  made  him  one  of  the  foremost  men  of 
his  time.  It  is  significant  that  the  emphasis  of  interest  in  Mr. 
Carnegie's  case  has  shifted  from  his  wealth  to  the  uses  he  is 
making  of  it ;  from  the  material  with  which  he  works  to  the  idea 
which  he  is  expressing  through  it.  He  represents  a  new  order 
of  men  in  the  world,  and  the  instinctive  feeling  that  a  man's 
fortune  is  his  private  affair  and  that  it  betrays  a  lack  of  delicacy 
to  speak  of  it  has  given  place  to  a  recognition  of  the  public 
aspects  of  great  fortunes  when,  by  organization,  they  constitute 
the  basis  of  a  new  group  of  forces  in  society.  The  great  modern 
capitalist  is  not  and  cannot  be  a  private  person;  he  is,  by  virtue 
of  his  power  and  his  responsibilities,  as  much  and  as  legitimately 

2 


ANDREW    CARNEGIE 

a  public  man  as  the  Czar  of  Russia,  the  Prime  Minister  of  Eng- 
land, or  the  President  of  the  United  States.  He  is  no  longer 
simply  an  employer  of  labor:  he  is  also  the  controller  and  man- 
ager of  the  vast  accumulations  which  numberless  private  persons 
have  intrusted  to  him.  His  property  is  the  security  of  countless 
small  investments ;  his  integrity  and  capacity  are  elements  in 
the  well-being  of  the  community. 

When  great  capitalists  began  to  appear  there  was  a  great  deal 
of  idle  and,  in  many  cases,  of  vulgar  curiosity  about  their  habits 
of  life,  their  amusements  and  occupations.  That  kind  of  curi- 
osity will  always  exist,  and  is  now  the  chief  stock  in  trade  of 
cheap  newspapers  which  denounce  the  rich  in  leaded  editorials 
and  surrender  page  after  page  to  minute  and  impertinent  accounts 
of  the  dress,  food,  amusements,  and  dissipation  of  the  same  class. 
Rational  interest  has  shifted,  however,  from  the  making  of  for- 
tunes to  their  use  —  from  accumulation  to  distribution. 

In  the  development  of  the  phase  of  modern  life  which  has 
produced  the  great  capitalist,  Mr.  Carnegie  has  been  a  signifi- 
cant figure.  He  was  one  of  the  first  in  point  of  time  to  arrive 
at  the  position  of  a  great  man  of  wealth  by  modern  standards  ; 
to  acquire  a  fortune  so  vast  that  its  possession  gave  him  histor- 
ical prominence.  His  success  was  the  more  dramatic  because 
it  was  achieved  by  the  use  of  so  few  tools  at  the  start ;  it  had  no 
visible  foundations  of  inherited  capital,  organization,  or  oppor- 
tunity; it  rested  solely  on  the  character  and  force  of  the  man; 
on  his  insight  into  the  possibilities  of  the  means,  the  openings, 
and  the  men  about  him ;  on  his  courage,  steadiness,  power  of 
combination,  and  sustained  force  of  intellect. 

The  foundations  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  success  were  laid  in  his 
personality,  and  the  work  was  done  in  large  measure  by  his 
ancestors.  He  is  often  spoken  of  as  the  conspicuous  example 
of  the  self-made  man.  If  by  self-made  is  meant  the  making  of 
a  powerful  person  in  will,  intelligence,  and  practical  force  with 
slight  accidental  aids  from  circumstances,  Mr.  Carnegie  is  self- 
made  ;  but  if  the  phrase  carries  with  it  the  idea  of  complete 
organization  of  character  and  mind  without  contribution  from 
others,  Mr.  Carnegie  is  not  self-made.  To  the  making  of  every 
powerful  man  many  agencies  contribute :  ancestry,  racial  ten- 
dencies, general  conditions,  local  opportunities.  No  man  suc- 
ceeds without  help  from  others ;   no  man  becomes  great  in  any 

3 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

field  of  endeavor  by  isolated  growth ;  all  development  is  aided 
by  co-operation ;  every  success  is  social  in  its  conditions  if  not 
in  its  origin ;  and,  therefore,  every  success  ought  to  be  inter- 
preted in  terms  of  social  service.  No  man  secures  anything  for 
himself  in  isolation,  and  no  man  has  a  moral  right  to  enjoy  in 
isolation  the  thing  he  secures. 

Mr.  Carnegie  made  his  fortune  by  virtue  of  qualities  in  his  own 
nature  and  with  little  aid  from  without;  so  far  as  outside  help 
was  concerned,  he  is  a  striking  example  of  how  much  a  man 
can  accomplish  with  no  tools  except  those  which  nature  puts 
into  his  hands.  In  the  new  and  greater  stage  of  his  career,  Mr. 
Carnegie  is  now  rendering  his  most  distinctive  service  to  the  com- 
munity by  his  interpretation  of  the  uses  and  responsibilities  of 
wealth.  When  the  immense  sums  which  he  has  given  and  will 
give  for  educational  purposes  in  one  form  or  another  are  added 
up  and  the  total  set  down  in  figures,  the  imagination  of  the 
country  will  be  impressed  and  its  sense  of  obligation  quickened  ; 
but  in  the  long  run  it  will  probably  appear  that  the  greatest 
service  rendered  by  Mr.  Carnegie  was  not  his  vast  beneficence, 
but  his  attitude  toward  his  success,  his  recognition  of  the  social 
element  in  great  enterprises,  his  return  in  kind  to  the  community 
which  made  his  rise  to  affluence  and  power  possible. 

The  real  test  of  a  man  comes  when  the  necessity  for  work  is 
past  and  he  is  able  to  give  himself  to  the  things  for  which  he 
cares.  It  has  often  happened  that  a  man  has  arrived  at  fortune 
and  ease  only  to  disclose  the  emptiness  of  his  soul,  the  poverty 
of  his  ideals.  It  is  the  way  in  which  Mr.  Carnegie  has  met  this 
test  which  has  made  him  so  interesting  a  figure  of  late  years, 
and  has  revealed,  as  his  years  of  active  business  life  could  not 
reveal,  the  variety  and  range  of  his  interests,  the  deep  springs 
of  youth  and  activity  in  his  nature.  For  this  endowment  of 
imagination,  vivacity,  spiritual  energy,  he  owes  as  much  to  his 
ancestry  as  for  his  sagacity,  energy,  and  thrift.  He  comes  of 
a  race  of  extraordinary  capacity  for  dealing  with  affairs  and  of 
extraordinary  capacity  for  living  by  ideas  —  a  race  which  not 
only  strikes  hard  and  works  hard,  but  which  puts  the  same  force 
into  emotional  and  moral  life  ;  combining  in  the  same  person  the 
keenest  shrewdness,  the  clearest  judgment,  and  the  capacity  for 
absolute  surrender  to  a  great  passion  or  a  great  cause.  Scot- 
land has  been  the  home  of  "  lost  causes  and  impossible  loyal- 

4 


ANDREW    CARNEGIE 

ties  " ;  and  Scotland  has  also  been,  taking  into  account  her  size 
and  her  population,  a  country  of  unique  spiritual  and  intellect- 
ual influence ;  the  home  of  thinkers,  scholars,  poets,  romancers  ; 
with  universities  which  are  the  organized  opportunity  of  the 
poorest,  and  a  poetry  which  is  the  possession  of  the  humblest 
and  the  most  unlearned. 

The  vast  generosity  of  Mr.  Carnegie  to  literature  and  scholar- 
ship—  for  the  library  is  the  storehouse  of  literature  and  the  open 
door  to  scholarship  —  is  not  a  matter  of  impulse  and  did  not 
take  its  rise  in  suggestion  from  without.  Love  of  poetry  and 
learning  came  to  him  by  inheritance.  His  youth  knew  the  spell 
and  the  inspiration  of  Burns  and  Shakespeare  and  those  noble 
old  ballads  in  which  the  idealism,  the  passion,  and  the  tragedy  of 
Scottish  life  found  such  moving  and  dramatic  expression.  Self- 
made  in  his  independence  of  material  help,  Mr.  Carnegie  was 
singularly  fortunate  in  the  ancestral  influences  which  penetrated 
and  enriched  his  nature  far  below  the  region  of  his  practical 
activity  and  efficiency,  that  deeper  part  of  him  which  has  found 
expression  in  these  later  years,  and  has  asserted  its  priority  of 
spiritual  importance  over  the  executive  side  of  his  character. 

This  background  of  early  life,  becoming  constantly  more 
distinct  in  Mr.  Carnegie's  later  career,  must  be  taken  into  ac- 
count in  any  attempt  to  explain  the  man,  but  can  only  be  lightly 
touched  here.  In  a  Scottish  home  of  the  kind  from  which  Mr. 
Carnegie  came  there  are  to  be  found  not  only  the  qualities 
which  command  success  in  affairs,  but  the  higher  qualities  which 
weigh  and  measure  success  in  terms  of  spiritual  values.  Among 
those  vigorous,  honorable,  thrifty  Scottish  folk,  with  their  keen 
native  sagacity  and  their  equally  keen  appreciation  of  learning, 
of  poetry,  of  the  finer  things  of  the  spirit,  several  figures  may 
be  recalled  :  a  father  endowed  with  the  gift  of  imagination,  poetic 
in  temperament,  eloquent  in  speech,  passionately  interested  in  all 
movements  for  the  betterment  of  his  kind ;  *  a  mother  from  the 
Highlands,  with  the  Celtic  sensibility  and  fire,  an  inexhaustible 
store  of  old  ballads  in  her  memory;  an  uncle  who  became  a 
foster-father,  and  who  has  but  recently  gone  to  his  rest,  feeble 
with  the  weight  of  years  but  of  an  unbroken  courage  and  that 

1  The  father  was  one  of  three  Dunfermline  weavers  who  pooled  their  book 
possessions  and  thus  instituted  the  first  library  in  that  town.  The  son  has  recently 
presented  a  handsome  library  building  to  this  his  native  place,  having  already 
built  a  technical  school  and  other  municipal  buildings  there. 

5 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

sweetness  which  is  the  flower  of  a  lifelong  rectitude  and  a  life- 
long cherishing  of  the  traditions,  the  songs,  the  spiritual  im- 
pulses of  a  race  whose  labors  and  hardships  have  never  lacked 
the  illuminating  touch  of  the  imagination.  This  uncle,  who 
loved  liberty  because  it  is  the  heritage  of  brave  souls,  in  the 
dark  days  of  the  American  Civil  War  stood  almost  alone  in  his 
community  for  the  cause  which  Lincoln  represented.  He  loved 
education  with  the  passion  of  an  ardent  nature,  eager  to  open 
the  doors  of  opportunity,  and  his  happiest  hour  came  when  Mr. 
Carnegie  endowed  a  school  for  manual  training  in  the  Scottish 
town  in  which  he  lived  and  attached  his  name  to  it.  His  work- 
ing hours  knew  the  constant  solace  of  poetry,  and  he  taught  the 
boys  growing  up  about  him  the  songs  of  Burns,  the  Scottish 
ballads,  and  the  plays  of  Shakespeare  as  they  learned  their  crafts. 
"  I  made  myself  a  boy  that  they  might  be  men,"  he  once  said, 
recalling  the  days,  when,  as  they  worked  together,  they  imper- 
sonated the  actors  in  the  great  stories  of  Scottish  history  and 
tradition.  His  eyes  kindled  when  the  old  songs  were  sung, 
and  his  youth  came  back  to  him  as,  with  undimmed  memory 
and  unspent  feeling,  he  recited  the  lines  which  he  carried  in 
his  heart.  A  beautiful  figure,  this  old  uncle,  venerable  and  yet 
touched  with  the  spirit  which  knows  not  age,  in  deep  sympathy 
with  the  upward  movement  of  the  world,  and  one  in  heart  with 
the  struggle  for  larger  opportunities  everywhere.  In  the  light 
of  the  memory  of  such  an  ancestry  it  is  easy  to  understand  why 
Mr.  Carnegie  has  ceased  to  be  an  organizer  of  industry  and  has 
become  an  organizer  of  opportunity,  and  is  now,  on  a  scale  un- 
practised before,  transmuting  fortune  into  knowledge,  thought, 
freedom,  and  power. 


CHAPTER    II 

METHOD   OF   GIVING 

Herctdes  refusing  to  help  the  carter  who  did  not  put  his  own  shoulder  to  the  wheel, 
and  Carnegie,  turning  from  the  submerged  tenth,  to  devise  means  for  encouraging  the 
swimming  tenth,  —  these  are  the  ancient  and  modem  expressions  of  the  same  eternal 
truths  that,  in  this  life  at  least,  by  works  are  ye  saved,  and  he  that  will  not  work  neither 
shall  he  eat.  —  WHITELAW  Reid. 

The  "Gospel  of  Wealth"  —  Mr.  Carnegie's  Library  Creed  —  Colonel 
James  Anderson  of  Allegheny  and  his  Library  Institute  —  The 
Anderson  Memorial  —  Methods  of  Giving  —  President  Roosevelt 
on  Carnegie  Libraries  —  The  Maintenance  Requirement  —  The 
Value  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  Example  —  Some  Doubts  and  Criticisms  — 
Popular  Misconceptions  —  Mr.  Horace  White  Quoted  —  Carnegie 
Corporation  Organized  —  Total  Benefactions  to  Jan.  i,  1917. 

IN  the  North  American  Review  for  June,  1889,  Mr.  Carnegie 
published  an  article  on  "  Wealth  "  which  attracted  marked 
attention  both  in  England  and  America,  calling  forth  com- 
ments and  criticisms  from  Gladstone,  Grover  Cleveland,  Car- 
dinal Gibbons,  Cardinal  Manning,  Bishop  Potter,  Rabbi  Adler, 
and  others.  At  the  request  of  the  editor,  Mr.  Carnegie  con- 
tributed to  the  December  number  of  the  Review  a  second  article, 
in  which  he  pointed  out  what  were  in  his  judgment  the  best  fields 
for  the  use  of  surplus  wealth  and  the  best  methods  of  admin- 
istering it  for  the  good  of  the  people.  The  two  articles, 
slightly  revised  and  co-ordinated,  are  reprinted  as  the  title  essay 
of  his  book,  "  The  Gospel  of  Wealth,  and  other  Timely  Essays." 
In  his  first  paper  Mr.  Carnegie  had  said  that  "  the  main  con- 
sideration should  be  to  help  those  who  will  help  themselves ; 
to  provide  part  of  the  means  by  which  those  who  desire  to 
improve  may  do  so ;  to  give  those  who  desire  to  rise  the  aids 
by  which  they  may  rise ;  to  assist,  but  rarely  or  never  to  do  all. 
Neither  the  individual  nor  the  race  is  improved  by  almsgiving. 
Those  worthy  of  assistance,  except  in  rare  cases,  seldom  require 
assistance." 

7 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

This  thought  was  continued  in  his  second  paper.  "  The  first 
requisite  for  a  really  good  use  of  wealth  by  the  millionaire  who 
has  accepted  the  gospel  which  proclaims  him  only  a  trustee  of 
the  surplus  that  comes  to  him,  is  to  take  care  that  the  purposes 
for  which  he  spends  it  shall  not  have  a  degrading,  pauperizing 
tendency  upon  its  recipients,  but  that  his  trust  shall  be  so 
administered  as  to  stimulate  the  best  and  most  aspiring  poor  of 
the  community  to  further  efforts  for  their  own  improvement." 

Mr.  Carnegie's  answer  to  the  question,  What  is  the  best  gift 
which  can  be  given  to  a  community?  is  that  in  his  judgment 
"  a  free  library  occupies  the  first  place,  provided  the  community 
will  accept  and  maintain  it  as  a  public  institution,  as  much  a 
part  of  the  city  property  as  its  public  schools,  and,  indeed, 
an  adjunct  to  these."  Mr.  Carnegie,  in  explaining  his  reason 
for  having  decided  upon  the  building  of  libraries  as  the  field  for 
the  distribution  of  his  money,  said :  "  I  think  it  fruitful  in  the 
extreme,  because  the  library  gives  nothing  for  nothing,  because 
it  helps  only  those  that  help  themselves,  because  it  does  not 
sap  the  foundation  of  manly  independence,  because  it  does  not 
pauperize,  because  it  stretches  a  hand  to  the  aspiring  and  places 
a  ladder  upon  which  they  can  only  ascend  by  doing  the  climb- 
ing themselves.  This  is  not  charity,  this  is  not  philanthropy, 
it  is  the  people  themselves  helping  themselves  by  taxing  them- 
selves." "  It  is,  no  doubt,  possible,"  says  Mr.  Carnegie,  "  that 
my  own  personal  experience  may  have  led  me  to  value  a  free 
library  beyond  all  other  forms  of  beneficence.  When  I  was  a 
working-boy  in  Pittsburg,  Colonel  Anderson  of  Allegheny  —  a 
name  that  I  can  never  speak  without  feelings  of  devotional 
gratitude  —  opened  his  little  library  of  four  hundred  books  to 
boys.  Every  Saturday  afternoon  he  was  in  attendance  at  his 
house  to  exchange  books.  No  one  but  he  who  has  felt  it  can 
ever  know  the  intense  longing  with  which  the  arrival  of  Sat- 
urday was  awaited,  that  a  new  book  might  be  had.  My  brother 
and  Mr.  Phipps,  who  have  been  my  principal  business  partners 
through  life,  shared  with  me  Colonel  Anderson's  precious  gen- 
erosity, and  it  was  when  revelling  in  the  treasures  which  he 
opened  to  us  that  I  resolved,  if  ever  wealth  came  to  me,  that 
it  should  be  used  to  establish  free  libraries,  that  other  poor 
boys  might  receive  opportunities  similar  to  those  for  which  we 
were  indebted  to  that  noble  man." 

8 


METHOD    OF    GIVING 

Colonel  James  Anderson  established  in  1850  the  "J.  Anderson 
Library  Institute  of  Allegheny  City,"  which  was  open  for  the 
free  circulation  of  books  at  stated  hours  on  Tuesdays  and 
Saturdays.  The  bookplate  which  Colonel  Anderson  had  devised 
for  his  institute,  with  a  collection  of  tools  for  its  most  charac- 
teristic feature,  shows  clearly  that  the  founder's  intention  was  to 
furnish  reading  for  the  mechanics  and  working-men  who  made 
up  the  largest  part  of  the  community.  It  has  the  apt  motto : 
"  Take  fast  hold  of  instruction :  let  her  not  go,  for  she  is  thy 
life."     (Proverbs,  chapter  4,  verse  13.) 

The  Anderson  Library  was  closed  shortly  after  its  founder's 
death  in  1861,  not  perhaps  so  much  on  account  of  lack  of 
public  interest  in  keeping  it  open  as  owing  to  the  all-absorbing 
interest  in  the  Civil  War.  The  books  were  boxed  up  and  stored 
in  the  basement  of  the  city  hall  until  shortly  after  the  close  of 
the  war,  when  they  were  entrusted  to  the  charge  of  the  recently 
organized  Allegheny  Library  Association.  In  1871  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Association  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  board 
of  school  controllers,  who,  during  the  next  year,  were  empow- 
ered to  appropriate  from  the  school  funds  a  sum  of  money  for 
the  maintenance  of  a  free  public  library.  When  the  Carnegie 
Free  Library  was  organized  in  1890,  it  was  generally  expected 
that  the  Public  School  Library  would  be  merged  into  the  new 
institution,  but  there  were  unfortunately  legal  difficulties  which 
prevented  the  amalgamation.  The  Public  School  Library  now 
numbers  26,000  volumes,  including  about  four  hundred  books 
from  the  original  Anderson  Library. 

Mr.  Carnegie  has  on  several  occasions  paid  fond  tribute  to 
Colonel  Anderson's  memory,  and  on  June  15,  1904,  there  was 
unveiled  in  Allegheny  as  a  gift  from  him  a  lasting  memorial 
to  the  man  who  inspired  the  great  steel  king  with  the  idea  of 
his  library  crusade.  The  monument  is  at  the  corner  of  the 
Carnegie  Library  lot  and  consists  of  a  portrait  bust  by  Daniel 
Chester  French.  In  front  of  the  large  granite  slab  which 
supports  the  bust  is  the  figure  of  an  iron-worker,  who  sits  bared 
to  the  waist,  upon  an  anvil,  and  rests  from  his  labor  long 
enough  to  glance  at  the  large  open  book  which  he  holds  on 
his  knees. 

Mr.  Carnegie  does  not  care  to  be  known  as  a  philanthropist, 
whom  he  defines  as  one  who  not  only  gives   his  wealth,  but 

9 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

also  follows  it  up  by  personal  attention.  The  claims  upon  Mr. 
Carnegie's  time  and  the  wide  area  over  which  his  benefactions 
have  been  spread  have  not  permitted  of  his  carrying  out  the 
second  stipulation  to  any  great  extent.  Yet  it  must  be  said  that 
he  has  followed  with  very  keen  interest  and  wise  counsel  the 
development  of  many  of  the  institutions  which  owe  their  exist- 
ence to  his  liberality,  notably  those  in  and  around  Pittsburg 
which  serve  the  large  communities  immediately  interested  in 
and  dependent  upon  the  works  and  industries  by  means  of 
which  Mr.  Carnegie's  wealth  was  largely  acquired. 

Mr.  Carnegie  has  expressed  great  admiration  for  the  method 
of  giving  employed  by  Mr.  Enoch  Pratt,  of  Baltimore,  who  not 
only  gave  to  his  city  the  library  which  bears  his  name,  but  also 
watched  constantly  over  its  growth  and  development,  sharing 
with  the  trustees  the  burden  of  the  many  problems  which  beset 
them  from  time  to  time,  helping  with  practical  suggestions  and 
cheering  all  by  his  optimism.  On  the  occasion  of  the  formal 
opening  of  the  magnificent  library  building  which  Mr.  Carnegie 
had  presented  to  the  District  of  Columbia,  he  said  with  genial 
modesty:  "It  is  so  little  to  give  money  to  a  good  cause  and 
there  end,"  then  turning  to  the  commissioners  and  trustees, 
"  and  so  grand  to  give  thought  and  time,  as  these  gentlemen 
have  done." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  the  man  has  a  right  to  call  himself 
thrice  blessed,"  said  President  Roosevelt  on  this  occasion,  "who 
has  in  him  the  combined  power  and  purpose  to  use  his  wealth 
for  the  benefit  of  all  the  people  at  large  in  a  way  that  can  do 
them  real  benefit,  and  in  no  way  can  more  benefit  be  done  than 
through  the  gift  of  libraries  such  as  this,  —  a  free  library,  where 
each  man,  each  woman,  has  the  chance  to  get  for  himself  or 
herself  the  training  that  he  has  the  character  to  desire  and  to 
acquire.  Now,  of  course,  our  common  school  system  lies  at  the 
foundation  of  our  educational  system,  but  it  is  the  foundation 
only.  The  men  that  are  to  stand  pre-eminent  as  the  representa- 
tives of  the  culture  of  the  community  must  educate  themselves, 
and  the  work  done  by  this  library  is  interesting  because  it  repre- 
sents one  side  of  the  way  in  which  all  this  self-educational  work 
in  a  community  must  be  done. 

"  Mr.  Carnegie,"  continued  the  President,  "  neither  you  nor 
any  one  else  can  make  a  man  wise  or  cultivated.     All  you  can 

10 


METHOD    OF    GIVING 

do  is  to  give  him  a  chance  to  make  himself  so,  to  add  to  his  own 
wisdom  or  his  own  cultivation,  and  that  is  all  you  can  do  in  any- 
kind  of  genuine  philanthropic  work.  The  only  philanthropic 
work  is  work  that  helps  a  man  to  help  himself.  This  is  true  in 
every  way,  socially  and  sociologically.  The  man  who  will  sub- 
mit or  demand  to  be  carried  is  not  worth  carrying.  [To  this 
Mr.  Carnegie  ejaculated,  '  Hear  !  Hear  !  ']  Every  man  of  us 
needs  help,  needs  more  and  more  to  be  given  the  chance  to 
show  forth  in  himself  the  stuff  that  is  in  him,  and  this  kind  of 
free  library  is  doing  in  the  world  of  cultivation,  the  world  of 
civilization,  what  it  should  or  may  do  for  the  great  world  of  po- 
litical and  social  development;  that  is,  it  is  as  far  as  may  be 
equalizing  the  opportunities,  and  then  leaving  the  men  them- 
selves to  show  how  able  they  are  to  take  advantage  of  those 
opportunities.  To  quote  an  expression  that  I  am  fond  of,  this 
sort  of  gift  is  equally  far  from  two  prime  vices  of  our  civilization, 
hardness  of  heart  and  softness  of  head." 

At  the  dinner  given  in  Mr.  Carnegie's  honor,  April  7,  1902, 
by  the  Society  of  American  Authors,  Mr.  Melvil  Dewey,  re- 
sponding to  the  toast,  "  The  immeasurable  service  Mr.  Carnegie 
has  rendered  public  libraries,"  said :  "  If  Mr.  Carnegie  were 
investing  every  few  days  in  stocks,  men  would  begin  to  look 
very  carefully  into  the  condition  of  the  stocks  he  bought.  He 
has  been  investing  every  little  while  for  the  past  few  years  in 
libraries,  and  I  believe  that  he  has  done  it  with  the  same  ideas 
that  made  him  in  an  age  of  steel  invest  in  steel  and  make  the 
best  steel  in  the  world,  and  then  command  the  markets  of  the 
world  for  it.  His  wisdom  has  done  five  times  as  much  as  his 
wealth  in  the  conditions  he  has  put  with  his  gifts." 

The  conditions  referred  to  are  the  well-known  proviso  that 
the  community  accepting  the  offer  of  a  library  building  furnish 
a  site  and  agree  to  supply  an  annual  maintenance  fund  of  at 
least  ten  per  cent  of  the  amount  of  the  gift.  The  percentage 
was  higher  in  some  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  earlier  offers,  but  I  know 
of  only  one  case  where  it  was  lower,  and  I  have  it  from  one 
of  the  trustees  of  that  particular  institution  that  they  regret  that 
Mr.  Carnegie  was  ever  persuaded  to  make  an  exception  in  their 
case.  They  find  it  impossible  to  administer  the  library  properly 
on  a  five  per  cent  basis,  and  yet  they  are  unable  to  persuade 
the  city  fathers  to  increase  the  grant.      To  the  fact  that  the 

11 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

communities  are  expected  to  maintain  and  develop  the  many 
free  libraries  which  are  scattered  over  Great  Britain,  Mr.  Car- 
negie attributes  most  of  their  usefulness.  "  An  endowed  insti- 
tution," he  claims,  "  is  liable  to  become  the  prey  of  a  clique. 
The  public  ceases  to  take  interest  in  it,  or,  rather,  never  ac- 
quires interest  in  it.  The  rule  has  been  violated  which  requires 
the  recipients  to  help  themselves.  Everything  has  been  done 
for  the  community  instead  of  its  being  only  helped  to  help 
itself,  and  good  results  rarely  ensue." 

"  I  do  not  want  to  be  known  for  what  I  give,"  said  Mr.  Car- 
negie on  one  occasion,  "  but  for  what  I  induce  others  to  give." 
An  interesting  list  could  be  made  of  gifts  to  Carnegie  libraries. 
It  would  include  not  only  tracts  of  land,  but  furnishings  and 
endowments  for  the  libraries,  as  well  as  books  and  pictures  and 
well-equipped  museums.  But,  of  course,  the  main  value  of  a 
gift  of  this  kind  is  not  represented  by  its  sum  total  in  dollars 
and  cents,  but  rather  in  the  civic  interest  which  it  arouses  in  the 
object  of  the  gift.  Many  a  citizen's  attention  was  first  called  to 
the  fact  that  there  was  a  public  library  in  his  town  by  the  dis- 
cussion of  a  Carnegie  grant  in  the  local  papers.  Moreover,  the 
fact  that  one  town  has  a  Carnegie  library  is  an  incentive  to  its 
less  intellectual  or  less  enterprising  neighbor  to  provide  equally 
good  library  facilities  for  its  citizens;  and  more  than  one  com- 
munity has  been  spurred  to  action  in  this  matter  by  seeing  what 
was  being  done  by  its  rivals.  A  study  of  the  map  of  Carnegie 
libraries  in  the  United  States  will  show  many  of  these  centres 
of  influence.  In  speaking  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  princely  and  un- 
paralleled gift  to  New  York  City,  shortly  after  it  had  been 
announced,  Mr.  Melvil  Dewey  said  that  it  had  "  so  struck  the 
popular  mind  that  it  would  do  more  good  to  library  interests  in 
general  by  the  resulting  thought  and  discussion  than  by  the 
inestimable  direct  service  to  New  York  itself.  It  has  given  new 
courage  and  strength  to  every  library  worker  in  the  world,  and 
we  are  all  profoundly  grateful." 

Some  honest  doubts  have  been  expressed  in  regard  to  this 
Carnegie  library  deluge.  "Of  course,  every  town  ought  to  have 
a  library,"  remarked  the  Boston  Transcript  in  an  editorial  under 
date  of  November  28,  1902.  "There  does  not  exist  a  municipality 
in  the  United  States  but  knows  that  its  equipment  is  incomplete 
without  a  library.     Moreover,  there  is  not  one  that  would  not 

12 


t,  1905.  by  Ml 

MR.   CARNEGIE    IX    HIS   PRIVATE    LIBRARY 


NCI  S   B     I 


COLONEL  JAMES   ANDERSON 

(1785-1861) 

From  an  oil  painting  in  the  office  of  the  warden,  Western  Peniti  y.  P  nnsylvania 


ALLEGHENY,    PENNSYLVANIA 


Smithmyer  &  Phlz,  architects, 
Washing-ton,  D.  c. 


Copyright,  1905,  by   DETROIT   PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

CITY   HALL   SQUARE   AND  THE   CARNEGIE    LIBRARY 


Henry  Bacon,  architect— Daniel  i  hi 

MONUMENT   IN    MEMORY   OF   COLONEL    JAMES    ANDERSON 


BOOK-PLATE  OF   THE   ANDERSON    LIBRARY 

1  roil)  which  Mr.  (  arnegie  borrow '-'1  books  in  his  boyh  o  I 


METHOD    OF    GIVING 

have  a  library  sooner  or  later  by  its  own  efforts,  unless  the  hope 
of  a  gift  from  Mr.  Carnegie  leads  it  to  defer  the  matter  indefi- 
nitely." That  a  community  should  put  off  the  establishment  of 
a  library  indefinitely  because  of  being  disappointed  in  its  expec- 
tation of  a  Carnegie  grant  is  hardly  credible.  It  requires  some 
active  canvassing  to  secure  the  offer  —  generally  a  ballot  on  the 
subject  and  a  guarantee  of  a  suitable  maintenance  fund.  If  the 
guarantee  is  sufficient  and  the  finances  of  the  community  seem 
to  warrant  the  annual  expenditure  of  the  amount  involved,  Mr. 
Carnegie  usually  makes  the  grant.  The  refusals  have,  I  am 
inclined  to  think,  been  more  frequent  from  the  towns  than  from 
Mr.  Carnegie,  the  offer  usually  having  been  made  in  response  to 
the  request  of  some  private  individual  or  from  a  body  of  library 
trustees.  Mr.  Carnegie  has  very  rarely  taken  the  initiative  in 
these  matters. 

The  majority  of  the  communities  in  the  United  States  which 
have  shared  Mr.  Carnegie's  bounty  are  in  the  newly  settled  parts 
of  the  country,  in  places  which  have  been  harassed  by  demands 
for  the  more  pressing  public  improvements,  such  as  good  roads, 
schools,  churches,  courthouses,  sewerage,  lighting  and  water 
supply  systems,  and  Mr.  Carnegie  has  simply  put  them  that 
much  forward  by  giving  them  the  advantages  of  a  library  home. 
He  thus  directs  attention  to  their  library  needs,  but  does  not 
supply  them.  He  supplies  merely  convenient  accessories  for 
the  administration  of  a  library,  not  the  library  itself —  the  shell 
and  not  the  kernel.  The  books  and  the  library  spirit  must 
come  from  the  people  themselves.  This,  as  already  pointed  out, 
has  been  his  policy  from  the  first.  Whether  the  library  is  to 
bear  fruit  depends  upon  the  community. 

It  is  conceivable  that  a  community  may  through  a  mistaken 
pride  rush  into  this  matter  before  season,  that  it  may  seek  the 
offer  of  a  Carnegie  grant  before  it  is  prepared  to  properly  take 
care  of  a  library.  But  Mr.  Carnegie  has  foreseen  the  danger  of 
an  ambitious  community  overreaching  its  legitimate  ends  and 
his  secretary  and  financial  agent  have  required  full  statements 
as  to  the  population  and  income  of  a  community  before  enter- 
taining its  proposition.  In  not  a  few  cases  Mr.  Carnegie  has 
not  granted  the  full  amount  asked  for,  because  it  was  felt  that  in 
accepting  the  larger  sum  the  community  would  be  binding  itself 
to  do  more  than  it  should  undertake. 

13 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

Mr.  Carnegie  has  never  thrust  his  gifts  upon  a  community, 
nor  has  he  ever  willingly  stood  in  the  way  of  any  one  else  giv- 
ing a  library  to  a  community.  I  recall  one  instance  where,  in 
response  to  a  request  for  aid,  he  offered  to  furnish  money  for  a 
library  building,  but  withdrew  his  offer  when  he  heard  that  a 
former  citizen  desired  to  present  a  library  to  his  native  town. 
In  notifying  the  prospective  donor  of  his  action,  Mr.  Carnegie 
congratulated  him  upon  the  opportunity  of  which  he  had  availed 
himself. 

There  is  a  popular  misconception  to  the  effect  that  all  these 
libraries  which  Mr.  Carnegie  has  scattered  over  the  land  bear 
his  name,  that  he  has  erected  them  simply  as  so  many  monu- 
ments to  himself.  The  direct  opposite  is  true.  He  makes  no 
stipulation  as  to  the  name  the  library  shall  bear.  The  great 
majority  of  them  are  known  as  the  Public  Library  of  the  town 
which  supports  them.  Most  of  the  gifts  have  been  made  to 
libraries  already  in  existence  at  the  time  of  the  offer,  corporate 
institutions  the  names  of  which  no  one  would  think  of  changing 
simply  because  they  had  been  given  a  new  home.  This  is  as  it 
should  be.  As  one  ardent  library  worker  in  Montana  put  it, 
"  You  would  not  give  a  child  the  name  of  a  man  who  gives  him 
a  suit  of  clothes ;  no  matter  how  good  a  suit  it  might  be,  he 
would  bear  his  father's  name."  Naturally  there  is  usually  some 
tablet  or  inscription  on  the  building  stating  that  it  was  erected 
through  the  generosity  of  Mr.  Carnegie.  Common  courtesy 
would  require  some  such  acknowledgment  of  so  great  a  gift. 
Certain  library  boards  have  acknowledged  their  indebtedness 
by  inserting  the  words  "Carnegie  building"  as  a  qualifying 
phrase  under  the  name  of  their  library.  On  the  other  hand, 
when  any  particular  library  has  been  called  into  being  through 
the  agency  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  princely  liberality  and  the  recip- 
ients of  his  bounty  have  wished  to  do  him  special  honor  they 
have  named  the  library  after  him.  But  this  has  followed  and 
not  preceded  the  gift. 

At  the  dedication  of  the  Carnegie  Library  of  Beloit  College, 
January  5,  1905,  Mr.  Horace  White  of  the  New  York  Evening 
Post  spoke  as  follows  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  library  work: 

"  In  the  fall  of  1891,  Cornell  University  dedicated  her  library 
building,  which  still  holds  high  rank  among  similar  structures 

14 


METHOD   OF  GIVING 

in  this  country.  The  principal  address  on  the  occasion  was 
delivered  by  President  Gilman  of  Johns  Hopkins  University. 
The  speaker  made  some  opening  remarks  on  the  general 
growth  and  progress  of  public  libraries.  '  Witness,'  he  said, 
'  the  noble  gifts  of  the  Astors,  of  Bates,  Peabody,  Rush,  Lenox, 
Tilden,  Newberry,  Crerar,  Chittenden,  and  many  more.'  It  was 
a  well-deserved  tribute  that  he  paid  to  the  memory  of  these 
benefactors  of  their  kind.  All  of  the  gifts  to  which  Dr.  Gilman 
referred  were  made  in  the  latter  half,  and  most  of  them  in  the 
last  quarter,  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Yet  more  work  has 
been  done  in  this  country  for  free  libraries  since  the  date  of  Dr. 
Gilman's  address  thirteen  years  ago  than  had  been  done  in  our 
whole  previous  history,  and  one  man  has  done  more  of  it  than 
all  others  put  together." 

Mr.  Carnegie's  benefactions  to  libraries  continued  to  grow 
with  ever-increasing  momentum,  and  in  191 1  Mr.  Carnegie  made 
provision  for  its  continuance  on  a  permanent  basis. 

*  Carnegie 

The  first  step  was  to  secure  the  passage  in  the  New  corporation 

r  -  of  New  York. 

York  state  Legislature,  on  June  9,  191 1,  of  an  act 
authorizing  the  incorporation  of  the  Carnegie  Corporation  of 
New  York.  On  Friday,  November  10,  of  the  same  year,  eight 
men  met  in  Mr.  Carnegie's  house,  accepted  the  charter,  adopted 
a  constitution  and  by-laws,  and  elected  the  following  officers: 
President,  Andrew  Carnegie  ;  vice  president,  Elihu  Root;  treas- 
urer, Robert  A.  Franks ;  and  secretary,  James  Bertram.  To  this 
corporation  Mr.  Carnegie  transferred,  for  the  purposes  specified 
in  the  charter,  first  mortgage  gold  bonds  of  the  United  States 
Steel  Corporation  for  the  sum  of  $25,000,000,  par  value,  which 
sum  was  shortly  after  increased  to  $125,000,000.  All  business 
relating  to  the  erection  of  library  buildings,  either  public  or  in 
educational  institutions,  as  well  as  a  number  of  Mr.  Carnegie's 
personal  charities,  was  transferred  to  the  Corporation  as  rapidly 
as  possible,  and  has  since  been  administered  by  that  body. 
The  charter  under  which  the  Corporation  operates,  reads  as 

follows : 

CHARTER 

The  People  of  the  State  of  New  York,  represented  in  Senate  and  Assembly, 
do  enact  as  follows  : 

Section  i.  Andrew  Carnegie,  Elihu  Root,  Henry  S.  Pritchett,  William 
N.  Frew,  Robert  S.  Woodward,  Charles  L.  Taylor,  Robert  A.  Franks,  James 

15 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

Bertram  and  their  successors,  are  hereby  constituted  a  body  corporate  by  the 
name  of  Carnegie  Corporation  of  New  York,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  and 
maintaining  a  fund  or  funds  and  applying  the  income  thereof  to  promote  the 
advancement  and  diffusion  of  knowledge  and  understanding  among  the  people 
of  the  United  States,  by  aiding  technical  schools,  institutions  of  higher  learn- 
ing, libraries,  scientific  research,  hero  funds,  useful  publications,  and  by  such 
other  agencies  and  means  as  shall  from  time  to  time  be  found  appropriate 
therefor. 

Section  2.  The  corporation  hereby  formed  shall  have  power  to  take  and 
hold,  by  bequest,  devise,  gift,  purchase  or  lease,  either  absolutely  or  in  trust, 
for  any  of  its  purposes,  any  property,  real  or  personal,  without  limitation,  as 
to  amount  or  value,  except  such  limitation,  if  any,  as  the  legislature  shall  here- 
after impose,  to  convey  such  property,  and  to  invest  and  reinvest  any  principal 
and  deal  with  and  expend  the  income  of  the  corporation  in  such  manner  as 
in  the  judgment  of  the  trustees  will  best  promote  its  objects.  It  shall  have 
all  the  power  and  be  subject  to  all  the  restrictions  which  now  pertain  by  law 
to  membership  corporations  as  far  as  the  same  are  applicable  thereto  and  are 
not  inconsistent  with  the  provisions  of  this  act.  The  persons  named  in  the 
first  section  of  this  act,  or  a  majority  of  them,  shall  hold  a  meeting  and  or- 
ganize the  corporation  and  adopt  a  constitution  and  by-laws  not  inconsistent 
with  the  constitution  and  laws  of  this  State.  The  constitution  shall  prescribe 
the  qualifications  of  members,  the  number  of  members  who  shall  constitute  a 
quorum  for  the  transaction  of  business  at  meetings  of  the  corporation,  the 
number  of  trustees  by  whom  the  business  and  affairs  of  the  corporation  shall 
be  managed;  the  qualifications,  powers,  and  the  manner  of  selection  of  the 
trustees  and  officers  of  the  corporation,  and  any  other  provisions  for  the 
management  and  disposition  of  the  property  and  regulation  of  the  affairs  of 
the  corporation  which  may  be  deemed  expedient. 

Section  3.    This  act  shall  take  effect  immediately. 

Five  other  funds  have  been  organized  by  Mr.  Carnegie  at 
various  times,  and  their  presidents  are,  by  virtue  of  their  offices, 
members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Corporation.  The 
Board  as  organized  in  191 1  was  as  follows:  Andrew  Carnegie, 
New  York ;  Elihu  Root,  President,  Carnegie  Endowment  for 
International  Peace,  Washington,  D.  C. ;  William  N.  Frew, 
President,  Board  of  Trustees  of  The  Carnegie  Institute  of  Pitts- 
burgh ;  Robert  S.  Woodward,  President  of  The  Carnegie  Insti- 
tution of  Washington,  Washington,  D.  C. ;  Henry  S.  Pritchett, 
President  of  The  Carnegie  Foundation  for  the  Advancement  of 
Teaching,  New  York;  Charles  L.  Taylor,  President  of  The 
Carnegie  Hero  Fund  Commission,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. ;  Robert  A. 
Franks,  New  York;  James  Bertram,  New  York.  There  have 
been  few  changes  in  the  Board  of  Trustees  since  incorporation. 
William  N.  Frew  died  in  1914  and  was  succeeded  by  S.  H. 
Church,  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  The  Carnegie 
Institute,  of  Pittsburgh.     John  A.  Poynton  is  now  a  member  of 

16 


NEW    YORK    DOCUMENTS 

the  Board,  and   Robert  A.  Franks  holds  the  double  office  of 
vice  president  and  treasurer. 

For  the  guidance  of  library  committees,  especially  in  small 
towns,  who  may  have  lacked  time  or  opportunity  to  study 
library  planning,  the  Carnegie  Corporation  sends  to  all  com- 
munities to  which  library  grants  have  been  voted,  a  suggestive 
memorandum  called  "  Notes  on  the  Erection  of  Library  Bild- 
ings,"1  illustrated  with  diagrams  showing  six  types  of  libraries 
which  have  been  found  satisfactory  in  operation.  To  quote 
from  this  memorandum : 

The  amount  allowd  by  Carnegie  Corporation  of  New  York  to  cover  the 
cost  of  a  Library  Bilding  is  according  to  a  standard  based  on  (a)  the  popu- 
lation which  is  to  pay  the  tax  for  carrying  on  the  library,  and  (6)  a  specified 
minimum  revenue  from  such  tax.  The  donation  is  sufficient  only  to  provide 
needed  accommodation  and  there  wil  be  either  a  shortage  of  accommodation 
or  of  money  if  this  primary  purpose  is  not  kept  in  view,  viz. :  to  obtain  for 

THE   MONEY   THE   UTMOST   AMOUNT    OF   EFFECTIV   ACCOMMODATION,   CON- 
SISTENT   WITH   GOOD   TASTE   IN   BILDING. 

The  amount  allowd  is  intended  to  cover  cost  of  the  bilding,  complete  and 
redy  for  use  with  indispensible  furniture  and  fixtures,  and  including  archi- 
tect's fees.  .  .  . 

The  bilding  should  be  devoted  exclusively  to  (main  floor)  housing  of  books 
and  their  issue  for  home  use  ;  comfortable  accommodation  for  reading  them 
by  adults  and  children.  (Basement)  Lecture  room ;  necessary  accommoda- 
tion for  heating  plant ;  also  all  conveniences  for  the  library  patrons  and  staff. 

Experience  seems  to  sho  that  the  best  results  for  a  small  general  library 
ar  obtaind  by  adopting  the  one-story  and  basement  rectangular  type  of  bila- 
ing,  with  a  small  vestibule  entering  into  one  large  room  sub-divided  as  required 
by  means  of  bookcases. 

It  has  been  customary  with  the  Carnegie  Corporation  to  re- 
quire assurance  that  at  least  ten  per  cent  of  the  grant  made  to 
cover  the  cost  of  the  building  will  be  appropriated  annually  by 
the  community  benefited,  for  the  maintenance  of  the  library. 
The  tendency  of  many  communities  to  assume  that  when  this 
requirement  had  been  met  the  city  or  town  had  done  its  full 
duty  by  the  library,  led  the  League  of  Library  Commissions  in 
191 5  to  enter  into  correspondence  with  the  Carnegie  Corpora- 
tion, to  ascertain  whether  the  latter  would  be  willing  to  make  a 
more  definite  statement  to  the  effect  that  this  ten  per  cent 
maintenance  fund  is  to  be  regarded  merely  as  the  minimum 
possible  for  support. 

1  Simplified  spelling  is  used  in  all  Carnegie  communications. 
17 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

Mr.  J.  I.  Wyer,  Jr.,  in  a  memorandum  submitted  to  the 
Carnegie  Corporation  on  November  15,  191 5,  on  behalf  of  the 
League  of  Library  Commissions,  wrote: 

1.  The  amount  of  money  required  effectively  to  maintain  a  public  library, 
expressed  in  terms  of  per  cent  of  the  building  cost,  varies  not  only  according 
to  the  part  of  the  country,  but  the  adequacy  of  a  10%  income  varies  with  the 
difference  in  initial  cost  of  library  buildings.  For  example,  it  costs  more  than 
half  as  much  to  maintain  a  library  in  a  $10,000  building  as  to  maintain  a 
library  in  a  $20,000  building. 

2.  The  inadequacy  of  a  \o<yf0  maintenance  sum  is  most  apparent  with  very 
small  libraries  in  buildings  costing  from  $5,000  to  $15,000.  Is  the  Carnegie 
Corporation  willing  to  add  to  its  printed  matter  sent  to  committees  applying 
for  library  buildings,  to  incorporate  in  its  correspondence,  to  include  in  its 
annual  report,  or  to  print  as  a  separate  leaflet  to  be  furnished  to  library  com- 
missions, a  statement  to  the  effect  that  while  \o°/0  of  the  cost  of  the  building 
has  seemed  a  fair  maintenance  requirement  for  the  country  as  a  whole,  yet  it 
is  well  understood  that  owing  to  local  conditions  this  sum  will  in  hundreds  of 
instances  be  wholly  insufficient  to  develop  the  public  library  to  its  fullest  use- 
fulness ;  that  the  Carnegie  Corporation  is  glad  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  the 
\oof0  maintenance  requirement  is  considered  by  it  merely  as  a  minimum, 
with  the  knowledge  and  expectation  that  in  order  to  make  the  fullest  use  of 
the  building  and  library  the  amount  appropriated  for  library  support  must 
eventually  exceed  this  sum  ? 

Co-operating  with  the  League  of  Library  Commissions  in  its 
endeavors  to  secure  increased  and  adequate  support  for  libraries, 
the  Corporation  has  adopted  the  Commission's  tentative  sugges- 
tion, and  has  printed  the  correspondence  passed  between  the 
two  as  a  separate  leaflet,  which  is  mailed  as  an  enclosure  with 
each  promise  of  a  library  building,  as  well  as  to  all  who  have 
received  Carnegie  buildings  in  the  past. 

The  library  grants  made  in  the  United  States  and  Canada 
during  1916  amounted  to  $1,241,888.  The  total  library  gifts  to 
December  31,  1916,  granted  either  by  Mr.  Carnegie  personally 
or  by  the  Carnegie  Corporation,  amounted  to  2749  public  library 
buildings,  representing  $61,293,485.17,  and  116  college  library 
buildings,  representing  $3,776, 199.27,  making  the  amazing  record 
of  2865  buildings  and  $65,069,684.44.  Of  this  $61,293,485.17 
set  aside  for  public  library  buildings,  the  sum  of  $13,135,354.91 
was  promised  by  the  Carnegie  Corporation. 


18 


CHAPTER    III 

DOCUMENTS  RELATING  TO  THE  ESTABLISHMENT 
OF  THE   NEW   YORK   CITY   BRANCHES 

I.    Letter  of  Mr.  Carnegie 

New  York,  12th  March,  1901 
Dr.  J.  S.  Billings, 

Director,  New  York  Public  Library 

Dear  Mr.  Billings: 

OUR  conferences  upon  the  needs  of  Greater  New  York 
for    Branch    Libraries   to   reach   the    masses    of  the 
people  in  every  district  have  convinced  me  of  the  wis- 
dom of  your  plans. 

Sixty-five  branches  strike  one  at  first  as  a  large  order,  but  as 
other  cities  have  found  one  necessary  for  every  sixty  or  seventy 
thousand  of  population,  the  number  is  not  excessive. 

You  estimate  the  average  cost  of  these  libraries  at,  say,  $80,000 
each,  being  $5,200,000  for  all.  If  New  York  will  furnish  sites 
for  these  Branches  for  the  special  benefit  of  the  masses  of  the 
people,  as  it  has  done  for  the  Central  Library,  and  also  agree 
in  satisfactory  form  to  provide  for  their  maintenance  as  built,  I 
should  esteem  it  a  rare  privilege  to  be  permitted  to  furnish  the 
money  as  needed  for  the  buildings,  say  $5,200,000.  Sixty-five 
libraries  at  one  stroke  probably  breaks  the  record,  but  this  is  the 
day  of  big  operations  and  New  York  is  soon  to  be  the  biggest 
of  cities. 

Very  truly  yours, 

ANDREW  CARNEGIE 

2.     Letter    to   the  Mayor   Transmitting  the    Offer  of  Andrew 

Carnegie 

THE  TRUSTEES  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
ASTOR,  LENOX,  AND  TILDEN  FOUNDATIONS 

Office  of  the  Secretary 
32  Nassau  Street 

New  York,  15th  March,  1901 
Hon.  Robert  A.  Van  Wyck, 

Mayor,  &c,  &c. 
Dear  Sir  : 

By  direction  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  The  New  York 
Public  Library,  Astor,  Lenox,  and  Tilden  Foundations,  I  have 

19 


CARNEGIE   LIBRARIES 

the  honor  to  hand  you  herewith  a  copy  of  a  letter  which  we 
received,  through  our  Director  Dr.  John  S.  Billings,  from  Mr. 
Andrew  Carnegie,  on  the  13th  inst,  the  day  of  his  sailing  for 
Europe. 

You  will  observe  that  Mr.  Carnegie  offers  to  bear  the  expense 
of  building  a  large  number  of  branch  libraries,  at  an  estimated 
total  cost  of  five  million  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  pro- 
vided the  City  will  furnish  the  necessary  land,  and  provided 
satisfactory  arrangements  can  be  made  for  the  maintenance  of 
these  branches.     There  are  no  other  conditions. 

I  am  instructed  to  say  that  if  the  City  authorities  look  with 
favor  upon  the  general  plan,  our  Board  of  Trustees  will  hold 
itself  in  readiness  to  co-operate,  in  every  way  possible,  in  fur- 
thering the  beneficent  purposes  which  are  the  object  of  Mr. 
Carnegie's  munificent  offer. 

It  is  understood  that  Mr.  Carnegie's  offer  is  intended  to  apply 
to  the  entire  City.  The  methods  and  agencies  of  administering 
branches  in  Boroughs  other  than  Manhattan  and  The  Bronx 
may  well  be  left  to  be  settled  hereafter. 

I  am  further  instructed  to  say  that,  in  communicating  Mr. 
Carnegie's  proposal  to  our  Board,  Dr.  Billings  accompanied  it 
with  the  following  statement : 

"  In  the  conferences  referred  to  by  Mr.  Carnegie,  the  sug- 
gestions which  I  have  made  have  related  mainly  to  a  free 
public  library  system  for  the  Boroughs  of  Manhattan  and  The 
Bronx. 

"  I  have  stated  that  such  a  system  should  include  the  great 
central  reference  library  on  42d  Street  and  5th  Avenue,  about 
40  branch  libraries  for  circulation,  small  distributing  centres  in 
those  public  school  buildings  which  are  adapted  to  such  pur- 
pose, and  a  large  travelling  library  system  operated  from  the 
central  building.  Each  of  the  branch  libraries  should  contain 
reading  rooms  for  from  50  to  100  adults,  and  for  from  75  to  125 
children,  and  in  these  reading  rooms  should  be  about  500  vol- 
umes of  encyclopaedias,  dictionaries,  atlases,  and  large  and  im- 
portant reference  books.  There  should  be  ample  telephone  and 
delivery  arrangements  between  the  branches  and  the  central 
library.  To  establish  this  system  would  require  at  least  five 
years.  The  average  cost  of  the  branch  libraries  I  estimated  at 
from  $75,000  to  $125,000,  including  sites  and  equipment.  The 
cost  of  maintaining  the  system  when  completed,  I  estimated  at 
$500,000  per  year.  The  circulation  of  books  for  home  use  alone 
in  these  Boroughs  should  amount  to  more  than  5,000,000  of 
volumes  per  year,  and  there  should  be  at  least  500,000  volumes 

20 


NEW    YORK    DOCUMENTS 

in  the  circulation  department,  with  additions  of  new  books  and 
to  replace  worn-out  books  of  at  least  40,000  per  year. 

"  With  regard  to  the  other  Boroughs  of  Greater  New  York, 
I  have  made  no  special  plans  or  estimates,  but  have  said  that 
about  25  libraries  would  be  required  for  them. 

"  The  following  are  some  of  the  data  which  I  have  furnished 
Mr.  Carnegie.  The  population  figures  are  those  of  the  last 
census : 

"Boston,  with  560,892  people,  has  15  branch  libraries  and 
reading  rooms  and  14  delivery  stations,  and  appropriates 
$288,641  for  library  purposes,  being  at  the  rate  of  over  50  cents 
per  head  of  population,  and  of  about  2  5/10  one-hundredths  of 
one  per  cent  on  the  assessed  value  of  property. 

"Chicago  has  1,698,575  people,  6  branch  libraries  and  60 
delivery  stations,  besides  stations  in  the  public  schools,  and  ap- 
propriates $263,397  for  library  purposes,  being  at  the  rate  of 
15  5/10  cents  per  head  of  population,  and  seven  one-hundredths 
of  one  per  cent  of  the  assessed  value  of  property. 

"  Buffalo  has  352,387  people,  and  appropriates  $145,238  for 
library  purposes,  being  at  the  rate  of  41  cents  per  head  of  pop- 
ulation, and  five  one-hundredths  of  one  per  cent  on  the  assessed 
value  of  property. 

"  New  York  City  (Borough  of  Manhattan  and  The  Bronx) 
has  2,050,600  population,  and  appropriates  $183,935  f°r  library 
purposes,  being  at  the  rate  of  8  9/10  cents  per  head  of  popula- 
tion, and  6/10  one-hundredths  of  one  per  cent  on  the  assessed 
value  of  property. 

"Greater  New  York  has  3,437,202  population,  and  appropri- 
ates $299,663  for  library  purposes,  being  at  the  rate  of  8  4/10 
cents  per  head  of  population,  and  8/10  one-hundredths  of  one 
per  cent  on  the  assessed  value  of  property. 

"  The  contract  made  by  the  City  of  Buffalo  with  the  Buffalo 
Public  Library  under  the  provisions  of  Chapter  16  of  the  Laws 
of  1897  of  the  State  of  New  York,  is  worth  careful  examination 
in  connection  with  the  question  of  how  best  to  provide  for 
maintenance  of  a  free  public  library  system  for  New  York 
City." 

I  am  very  respectfully  yours, 

G.  L.  RIVES, 

Secretary 


21 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

3.    An  Act  to  Authorise  and  Empower  the  City  of  New  York  to 
Establish  and  Maintain  a  Free  Public  Library  System 

Passed  April  26,  1901 

Laws  of  1901,  Charter  580 

The  People  of  the  State  of  New  York,  represented  in  Senate  and 
Assembly,  do  enact  as  follows  : 

.Section  t.  An  offer  having  been  made  by  Andrew  Carnegie, 
esquire,  of  the  city  of  New  York,  to  furnish  the  money  which 
may  be  needed  for  the  erection  of  buildings,  for  free  branch 
libraries  for  circulation  in  the  city  of  New  York,  estimated  to 
cost  the  sum  of  five  million  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  pro- 
vided that  the  said  city  will  furnish  the  necessary  sites  for  said 
branch  library  buildings,  and  also  agree  in  satisfactory  form  to 
provide  for  the  maintenance  of  said  buildings  when  built,  the 
board  of  estimate  and  apportionment  of  the  city  of  New  York 
is  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  in  its  discretion  to  acquire 
title  to  sites  for  free  branch  public  libraries  for  circulation, 
when  approved  by  the  person  or  corporation  with  whom  a  con- 
tract is  made  for  the  erection  of  a  building  thereon  as  provided 
in  the  next  section  of  this  act.  Such  sites  so  selected  and 
located  shall  be  and  are  hereby  set  apart  for  the  purposes  of  the 
buildings  to  be  erected  thereon  and  for  use  as  free  branch 
public  libraries  for  circulation  with  reading  rooms  and  other 
necessary  accommodations.  The  said  board  of  estimate  and 
apportionment  shall  have  power  in  its  discretion,  to  acquire  the 
said  sites  or  any  of  them,  by  gift  or  by  purchase  and  to  agree 
upon  the  purchase  price  of  the  lands  or  interests  therein  from 
time  to  time  so  selected  and  located  and  the  said  board  of 
estimate  and  apportionment  shall  also  have  power  in  its  discre- 
tion, to  acquire  title  to  the  said  sites  or  any  of  them  by  con- 
demnation proceedings  in  the  manner  provided  by  chapter 
twenty-one  of  the  Greater  New  York  charter.  And  the  said 
board  of  estimate  and  apportionment  of  the  city  of  New  York 
shall  have  power  in  its  discretion  by  a  resolution  passed  by  the 
unanimous  vote  of  the  members  of  said  board,  and  also  ap- 
proved by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  board  of  commissioners 
of  the  sinking  fund  of  the  city  of  New  York,  and  by  the  person 
or  corporation  with  whom  a  contract  is  made  for  the  erection  of 
a  building  thereon  as  provided  in  the  next  section  of  this  act,  to 
authorize  the  use  for  the  purposes  of  the  erection  and  mainte- 
nance of  said   free  branch   public   libraries   of  any  real   estate 

22 


NEW   YORK   DOCUMENTS 

belonging  to  the  city  of  New  York  and  which  is  not  required 
for  other  public  purposes,  and  upon  the  passage  of  the  said 
resolution  by  the  said  board  of  estimate  and  apportionment, 
when  approved  as  aforesaid,  the  said  real  estate  therein  de- 
scribed shall  be  and  is  hereby  set  apart  for  the  purposes  of  the 
erection  and  maintenance  of  the  said  buildings  of  said  free 
branch  public  libraries. 

JStCtf  on  H.  The  board  of  estimate  and  apportionment  of  the 
city  of  New  York  is  hereby  authorized  in  its  discretion  to  make 
and  enter  into  contracts  with  the  said  Andrew  Carnegie  or  with 
any  person  or  persons  designated  by  him  or  with  his  personal 
representatives,  or  with  any  corporation  or  corporations  ap- 
proved by  him  or  them  having  lawful  authority  to  construct  and 
maintain  free  libraries  which  contracts  may  provide  for  the 
erection  and  equipment,  without  cost  to  the  city  of  New  York 
of  library  buildings  upon  the  sites  so  acquired,  or  upon  other 
sites  now  possessed  or  which  may  be  possessed  by  such  cor- 
poration or  by  the  city  of  New  York.  Every  such  contract 
with  the  said  corporation  shall  provide  for  the  use  and  occupa- 
tion of  the  buildings  thereafter  erected,  in  compliance  with  the 
terms  of  such  contract  by  the  corporation  by  which  such  con- 
tract is  made,  and  for  the  establishment  and  maintenance  in 
each  of  them  of  a  free  branch  public  circulating  library  and 
reading  room  and  every  such  contract  may  provide  that  such 
use  and  occupation  shall  continue  so  long  as  the  said  corpora- 
tion with  which  it  is  made  shall  maintain  such  free  branch  public 
libraries  and  reading  rooms  upon  the  said  sites  respectively. 

Section  tit*  The  said  board  of  estimate  and  apportionment 
is  further  authorized  and  empowered  in  its  discretion,  and  in  such 
manner  as  may  seem  to  it  advisable  to  provide  in  such  contracts 
for  the  maintenance  of  a  public  library  system  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  including  therein  the  maintenance  of  any,  or  all  of 
the  free  public  libraries  now  existing  in  said  city  which  have 
heretofore  been  maintained  in  whole  or  in  part  by  the  public 
funds  of  the  said  city,  and  also  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
branch  libraries  to  be  erected  as  hereinbefore  provided,  and  of 
travelling  libraries  within  said  city.  The  amounts  required  for 
such  maintenance  shall  constitute  a  city  charge  to  be  provided 
for  in  the  annual  budget  and  tax  levy  of  said  city.  The  con- 
tracts to  be  made  under  the  authority  conferred  by  this  act  may 
provide  for  the  maintenance  of  the  libraries  on  such  sites  as 
rapidly  as  the  same  are  obtained,  and  library  buildings  are  con- 
structed thereon  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  this  act,  and  for 

23 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

the  maintenance  of  such  other  branches  or  reading  rooms  or 
circulating  or  travelling  libraries  as  are  herein  above  referred  to. 

SCCttOn  iO.  For  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  the  provisions 
of  this  act  and  for  paying  the  expenses  of  the  acquisition  of  the 
sites  and  conducting  the  proceedings  for  the  condemnation 
thereof,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  comptroller  of  the  city  of 
New  York  on  being  thereunto  authorized  by  the  said  board  of 
estimate  and  apportionment,  to  issue  and  sell  the  corporate 
stock  of  the  city  of  New  York  in  such  amounts  as  may  be  neces- 
sary, and  at  such  a  rate  of  interest  as  may  be  fixed  by  said 
comptroller.  No  consent  or  approval  of  the  municipal  assem- 
bly nor  of  any  board  other  than  the  said  board  of  estimate  and 
apportionment  shall  be  necessary  to  authorize  the  comptroller 
to  issue  such  stock  for  the  purposes  of  this  act. 

<S0CtfOtt  0*    This  act  shall  take  effect  immediately. 

4.  Agreements  with  the  City  of  New  York  Relating  to  the  Gift 
of  Andrew  Carnegie  and  the  Acquisition  of  Sites  for  Free 
Branch  Libraries. 

I 

<TI)tS  Slfjrr f mcttt,  made  and  concluded  this  Seventeenth  day 
of  July,  in  the  year  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and  one,  by  and 
between  The  City  of  New  York,  by  the  Board  of  Estimate 
and  Apportionment  of  said  City,  party  of  the  first  part,  and 
The  New  York  Public  Library,  Astor,  Lenox  and  Tilden 
Foundations,  party  of  the  second  part,  Witnesseth : 

©EJfjCtCaS,  Andrew  Carnegie,  of  the  City  of  New  York,  has 
heretofore  offered  to  furnish  the  funds  necessary  for  the  erec- 
tion of  buildings  for  65  free  branch  libraries  for  circulation  in 
the  City  of  New  York,  estimated  in  all  to  cost  the  sum  of  five 
million  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  ($5,200,000),  being  an 
average  cost  of  $80,000  each,  provided  the  City  of  New  York 
would  furnish  the  necessary  sites  for  such  buildings  and  agree 
in  satisfactory  form  to  provide  for  the  maintenance  of  said 
branches  when  completed,  and 

22Hi)CrcaS,  by  an  Act  of  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  approved  April  26,  1901,  entitled  "An  Act  to  authorize 
and  empower  the  city  of  New  York  to  establish  and  maintain  a 
free  public  library  system,"  being  Chapter  580  of  the  Laws  of 
1901,1  the  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  of  the  City 
of  New  York  is  authorized  in  its  discretion  to  acquire  title  by 

1  See  supra,  p.  22. 
24 


NEW   YORK   DOCUMENTS 

gift,  condemnation  or  purchase  to  sites  for  free  branch  public 
libraries  for  circulation,  with  the  approval  of  the  person  or  cor- 
poration with  whom  the  contract  is  made,  for  the  erection  of 
buildings  thereon ;  and  whereby  such  Board  is  further  em- 
powered upon  the  terms  and  conditions  imposed  in  said  act  to 
authorize  the  use  of  any  real  estate  belonging  to  the  City  of 
New  York  which  is  not  required  for  other  public  purposes,  for 
the  maintenance  and  erection  of  said  free  public  branches ;  and 
by  which  act  the  said  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  is 
further  authorized  in  its  discretion  to  make  and  enter  into  con- 
tracts with  said  Andrew  Carnegie,  or  with  any  person  or  per- 
sons designated  by  him  or  with  his  personal  representative, 
or  with  any  corporation  or  corporations  approved  by  him  or 
them  having  lawful  authority  to  construct  and  maintain  free 
libraries,  for  the  erection  and  equipment  without  cost  to  the 
City  of  New  York  of  library  buildings  upon  such  sites  so  to  be 
acquired,  or  upon  sites  now  possessed  or  which  may  hereafter 
be  possessed  by  any  corporation  with  which  such  contract  is 
made,  or  by  the  City  of  New  York,  and  which  Board  of  Esti- 
mate and  Apportionment  is  further  authorized  to  provide  in  such 
contracts  for  the  maintenance  of  a  public  library  system  in  the 
City  of  New  York,  including  therein  the  maintenance  of  any  or 
all  of  the  free  public  libraries  now  existing  in  said  city  which 
have  heretofore  been  maintained  in  whole  or  in  part  by  the 
public  funds  of  said  city,  as  well  as  for  the  maintenance  of  said 
branch  libraries  so  to  be  erected  as  hereinbefore  provided,  and 
of  travelling  libraries,  which  amounts  required  for  maintenance 
shall  constitute  a  city  charge  to  be  provided  for  in  the  annual 
budget  and  tax  levy  of  said  City  of  New  York,  and  which  con- 
tracts may  provide  for  the  maintenance  of  the  libraries  to  be 
constructed  on  such  sites  as  rapidly  as  the  same  may  be  ob- 
tained and  library  buildings  are  erected  thereon;    and 

©JEljCteaS,  it  is  not  at  the  present  time  deemed  expedient  by 
the  parties  hereto  to  avail  of  so  much  of  said  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature as  relates  to  the  incorporation  in  this  agreement  of  provi- 
sions for  the  support  of  free  public  libraries  now  existing  in  said 
City  which  have  heretofore  been  maintained  in  whole  or  in  part 
by  the  public  funds  of  said  City,  but  rather  to  leave  that  subject 
to  be  disposed  of  as  the  same  may  from  time  to  time  arise  here- 
after ;  and 

£2!f)Crca3t  the  said  The  New  York  Public  Library,  Astor, 
Lenox  and  Tilden  Foundations  has  been  approved  by  said 
Andrew  Carnegie,  as  provided  in  said  act,  and  duly  designated 

25 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

by  him  as  his  agent  for  the  purpose  of  this  agreement,  and  has 
lawful  authority  to  construct  and  maintain  free  libraries  in  the 
City  of  New  York  ;   and 

S2Hf)ercaSt  it  is  desired  by  the  said  party  of  the  first  part  to 
avail  of  the  offer  of  said  Andrew  Carnegie  upon  the  terms  pro- 
vided in  said  act  of  the  Legislature  hereinabove  referred  to,  and 
upon  the  terms  and  in  the  manner  herein  set  forth. 

"NotD,  tf)rntOre,  tt  tS  asreetl  between  the  said  parties  hereto 
as  follows,  viz : 

JftrStt  The  party  of  the  first  part  shall  proceed  to  acquire 
title  by  gift,  purchase  or  by  condemnation,  as  provided  in  said 
Act  hereinbefore  referred  to,  to  such  sites  as  shall  be  necessary 
in  the  Boroughs  of  Manhattan,  The  Bronx  and  Richmond,  for 
the  purpose  of  the  erection  and  maintenance  thereon  of  free 
branch  public  libraries,  on  the  approval  in  each  case  of  the  said 
The  New  York  Public  Library,  Astor,  Lenox  and  Tilden  Foun- 
dations, which  sites  so  to  be  selected  and  approved  shall  not, 
unless  by  mutual  consent,  exceed  in  number  forty-two  in  the  said 
Boroughs  of  Manhattan,  The  Bronx  and  Richmond,  the  propor- 
tion of  said  Sixty-five  Libraries  allotted  to  said  Boroughs ;  and 
the  said  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  of  the  City  of 
New  York,  by  resolution  adopted  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  said 
Board  and  approved  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  Commission- 
ers of  the  Sinking  Fund  of  the  City  of  New  York,  and  on  the 
approval  in  each  case  of  The  New  York  Public  Library,  Astor, 
Lenox  and  Tilden  Foundations,  may  authorize  the  use  of  any 
real  estate  belonging  to  said  City  of  New  York,  which  is  not  re- 
quired for  other  public  purposes  for  the  purpose  of  such  erection 
and  maintenance ;  and  further  provided  that  any  site  now  pos- 
sessed or  hereafter  acquired  by  the  said  The  New  York  Public 
Library,  Astor,  Lenox  and  Tilden  Foundations,  may,  with  the 
approval  of  the  said  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment,  be 
used  as  a  site  for  the  erection  and  maintenance  of  such  branch 
public  libraries  as  aforesaid. 

eSfCOntl  l  The  New  York  Public  Library,  Astor,  Lenox  and 
Tilden  Foundations,  shall,  upon  the  acquisition  of  title  to  any 
site  so  approved  as  aforesaid,  or  upon  the  passage  of  resolutions 
as  aforesaid  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  members  of  the  Board 
of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  and  of  the  said  Commissioners 
of  the  Sinking  Fund,  authorizing  the  use  of  any  real  estate  of 
the  City  of  New  York,  not  required  for  other  public  purposes, 
or  upon  the  approval  of  the  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportion- 

26 


NEW   YORK    DOCUMENTS 

ment  of  any  site  now  possessed  or  which  may  hereafter  be  pos- 
sessed or  acquired  by  the  party  of  the  second  part,  proceed  with 
the  erection  and  equipment  of  library  buildings  thereon,  without 
cost  to  the  City  of  New  York,  and  shall  complete  the  same  with 
funds  so  to  be  contributed  by  Andrew  Carnegie  as  aforesaid ; 
provided,  however,  that  the  said  The  New  York  Public  Library, 
Astor,  Lenox  and  Tilden  Foundations,  shall  not  be  required  to, 
nor  shall  it,  without  the  consent  of  the  said  Board  of  Estimate 
and  Apportionment,  commence  the  erection  and  equipment  of  a 
larger  number  than  ten  library  buildings  upon  sites  furnished  by 
the  City  of  New  York  in  the  Boroughs  of  Manhattan,  The  Bronx 
and  Richmond,  in  any  single  calendar  year  under  the  provisions 
hereof,  and  not  to  exceed  forty-two  branch  library  buildings  in  all 
in  the  Boroughs  of  Manhattan,  The  Bronx  and  Richmond.  Such 
sites  and  each  of  them  and  the  buildings  thereon  when  com- 
pleted shall  be  devoted  to  the  maintenance  of  free  branch  public 
circulating  libraries  and  reading  rooms,  and  the  same  and  each 
of  the  same  are  hereby  set  apart  for  use  as  free  branch  public 
libraries  for  circulation;  and  the  said  party  of  the  first  part  does 
hereby  grant,  demise  and  let  unto  the  said  The  New  York  Public 
Library,  Astor,  Lenox  and  Tilden  Foundations  and  its  succes- 
sors, on  the  erection  of  such  buildings  in  each  case,  the  land  or 
real  estate  so  acquired  for  sites,  and  the  said  land  or  real  estate, 
the  use  of  which  shall  have  been  authorized  by  the  said  Board 
of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  and  the  Commissioners  of  the 
Sinking  Fund  of  the  City  of  New  York,  which  is  not  required  for 
any  other  public  purpose,  with  all  improvements  upon  the  same 
or  any  of  the  same,  together  with  the  appurtenances  ;  TO  have 
AND  TO  HOLD  the  same  in  each  case  unto  the  said  party  of  the 
second  part  and  its  successors  so  long  as  the  said  party  of  the 
second  part  and  its  successors  shall  continue  to  maintain  upon 
the  same  respectively  free  branch  public  libraries  and  reading 
rooms,  and  so  long  as  the  said  party  of  the  second  part  and  its 
successors  shall  keep,  perform  and  observe  the  covenants  and 
conditions  herein  contained  on  its  part  to  be  kept,  performed 
and  observed. 

3Ti)trTJ  '.  The  party  of  the  second  part  agrees  forthwith  upon 
the  acquisition  of  any  site  by  the  City  of  New  York  when  ap- 
proved as  hereinbefore  provided,  or  when  the  use  of  any  real 
estate  belonging  to  the  City  of  New  York  which  is  not  required 
for  any  other  public  purposes,  shall  have  been  duly  granted  as 
aforesaid,  when  approved  by  the  party  of  the  second  part,  or 
upon  the  approval  of  any  site  now  possessed  or  to  be  hereafter 
possessed  by  the  party  of  the  second  part  by  the  Board  of  Esti- 

27 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

mate  and  Apportionment  of  the  City  of  New  York  as  a  site  for  a 
free  public  library  for  circulation  within  the  meaning  of  the  above- 
mentioned  act,  to  proceed  to  erect  upon  the  same  respectively 
branch  libraries  for  circulation,  and  to  equip  the  same,  the  ex- 
pense thereof  to  be  paid  from  funds  to  be  furnished  by  Andrew 
Carnegie,  and  without  cost  to  the  City  of  New  York ;  and  the 
party  of  the  second  part  further  agrees  to  complete  the  same  as 
soon  as  possible,  and  thereafter  to  conduct  and  carry  on  in  the 
same  respectively,  with  funds  to  be  provided  by  the  party  of  the 
first  part  as  hereinafter  provided,  free  public  libraries  for  circu- 
lation with  reading  rooms,  and  to  devote  the  same  to  the  use  of 
the  public. 

J^OUrt!)  t  The  party  of  the  first  part  further  agrees  adequately 
to  provide  for  the  maintenance  of  the  free  public  branch  libra- 
ries to  be  erected  pursuant  to  this  agreement,  and  of  travelling 
libraries,  in  said  city,  and  to  that  end  to  provide  in  each  year  in 
the  annual  budget  and  tax  levy  of  said  city  a  sum  not  less  than 
ten  per  centum  of  the  amount  expended  by  said  Andrew  Car- 
negie under  the  provisions  of  said  Act,  which  sum  shall  be 
expended  for  the  maintenance  of  the  branch  libraries  to  be  here- 
after constructed  pursuant  to  this  contract,  which  maintenance 
shall  be  provided  for  said  libraries  to  be  hereafter  constructed 
as  rapidly  as  the  same  are  obtained  ;  and  in  case  a  library  build- 
ing is  under  construction,  maintenance  may  be  provided  therefor, 
to  commence  when  constructed  ;  and  provided,  further,  that  the 
obligation  hereby  assumed  by  the  party  of  the  first  part  to  pro- 
vide for  such  maintenance  a  sum  not  less  than  ten  per  centum  of 
the  amount  so  expended  by  said  Andrew  Carnegie,  shall  not  be 
taken  to  limit  the  right  of  said  Board  of  Estimate  and  Appor- 
tionment to  appropriate  for  such  maintenance  any  larger  sum  if, 
in  its  discretion,  additional  appropriations  should  be  required. 

jFtfti)  ♦  The  party  of  the  second  part  further  agrees  that 
such  amounts  so  to  be  appropriated  in  each  year  for  the  main- 
tenance of  a  free  public  library  system  in  the  Boroughs  of  Man- 
hattan, The  Bronx  and  Richmond  shall  be  applied  solely  to  the 
maintenance  of  the  several  branch  public  libraries  for  circulation 
constructed  therein  pursuant  to  the  terms  of  this  agreement. 

i&iltJ) :  It  IS  FURTHER  AGREED  that  the  said  several  branch 
libraries  which  may  be  constructed  pursuant  to  the  provisions 
of  said  act,  and  each  of  them,  shall  be  accessible  at  all  reason- 
able hours  and  times,  free  of  expense,  to  the  persons  resorting 
thereto,  subject  only  to  such  reasonable  control  and  regulation 
as  the  party  of  the  second  part,  its  successor  or  successors, 

28 


NEW  YORK    DOCUMENTS 

from  time  to  time  may  exercise  and  establish  for  general  con- 
venience ;  provided,  further,  that  the  lending,  delivery  and  one 
or  more  reading  rooms  in  each  of  said  library  buildings  shall  be 
open  and  accessible  to  the  public  upon  every  day  of  the  week 
except  Sunday,  but  including  all  legal  holidays,  from  at  least 
nine  o'clock  A.  M.  to  at  least  nine  o'clock  P.  M.,  under  such  rules 
and  regulations  as  the  said  party  of  the  second  part  shall  pre- 
scribe from  time  to  time,  and  on  Sundays  such  parts  of  any  of 
such  libraries  may  be  opened  in  such  manner  and  during  such 
hours  as  may  be  from  time  to  time  agreed  upon  between  the 
said  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  and  said  The  New 
York  Public  Library,  Astor,  Lenox  and  Tilden  Foundations. 

.St fccntf)  t  The  books  contained  in  said  several  libraries  which 
shall  be  purchased  with  funds  provided  by  said  Andrew  Carnegie 
or  by  funds  hereafter  provided  by  the  City  of  New  York  shall 
be  and  remain  the  property  of  the  City  of  New  York  and  shall 
be  marked  plainly  as  such,  and  the  authorities  of  the  City  of 
New  York  shall  have  at  all  times  access  to  every  part  of  said 
library  buildings  and  libraries  and  each  of  them,  for  general 
police  visitation  and  supervision,  and  also  for  the  purpose  of  the 
performance  of  the  duties  devolving  upon  them  by  the  laws 
of  the  State  of  New  York  now  or  hereafter  to  be  enacted,  and 
the  police  powers  exercised  by  the  said  City  of  New  York  shall 
extend  in,  through  and  over  the  said  buildings  and  each  of  them. 
The  party  of  the  second  part,  however,  shall  appoint,  direct, 
control  and  remove  all  persons  employed  within  the  said  build- 
ings respectively  and  in  the  care  of  the  same.  All  fines  to  be 
exacted  from  any  person  or  persons  shall  be  retained  by  the 
party  of  the  second  part,  applied  to  the  business  of  circulation 
and  duly  accounted  for  in  its  accounts.  All  balances  of  annual 
appropriations  made  by  the  party  of  the  first  part  and  not  duly 
expended  by  the  party  of  the  second  part  for  the  maintenance 
of  such  libraries  during  the  calendar  years  for  which  such  appro- 
priations shall  have  been  made,  shall  be  accounted  for  and  paid 
by  the  said  party  of  the  second  part  to  the  Comptroller  of  the 
City  of  New  York,  to  be  deposited  to  the  credit  of  the  general 
fund  for  the  reduction  of  taxation,  within  sixty  days  after  the 
expiration  of  each  of  such  calendar  years. 

Htjjijttj  t  The  City  shall  annually,  in  addition  to  the  provis- 
ion for  maintenance  heretofore  provided  for,  provide  funds  for 
the  repair  of  the  several  buildings  located  upon  sites  owned  by 
or  furnished  by  the  City.  The  City,  in  addition,  shall  at  all 
times  furnish  a  supply  of  water,  and,  with  the  limitations  already 

29 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

defined,  the  party  of  the  second  part  shall  exercise  direction 
and  management  over  the  affairs  of  the  several  library  buildings, 
and  the  books,  collections,  and  appurtenances. 

jSTtntfj :  It  is  further  agreed  that  this  agreement  may  be 
wholly  cancelled  or  annulled,  or  from  time  to  time  altered  or 
modified,  as  to  any  one  or  more  of  the  library  buildings  here- 
after to  be  constructed  or  owned  or  for  which  maintenance  is 
provided  under  the  provisions  of  this  agreement,  as  may  be 
agreed  upon  in  writing  between  the  parties  hereto  or  their 
successors,  anything  herein  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

^01ltl)  I  That  the  said  party  of  the  second  part  shall  on  or 
before  the  first  day  of  May  in  every  year  during  the  continuance 
of  this  agreement  submit  to  the  party  of  the  first  part,  its  suc- 
cessor or  successors,  a  detailed  report  of  the  transactions  of  the 
party  of  the  second  part,  to  and  including  the  31st  day  of 
December  of  the  year  preceding. 

En  toftUCSS  toijCrtOf,  the  party  of  the  first  part  has  caused 
this  agreement  to  be  executed  by  the  Board  of  Estimate  and 
Apportionment  pursuant  to  a  resolution  adopted  at  a  meeting 
held  on  the  seventeenth  day  of  July,  1901,  and  the  party  of  the 
second  part  has  caused  this  agreement  to  be  executed  by  its 
President,  and  its  official  seal  to  be  hereto  affixed  pursuant  to 
resolutions  of  the  Trustees  of  The  New  York  Public  Library, 
Astor,  Lenox  and  Tilden  Foundations,  and  adopted  at  a  meet- 
ing held  on  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  May,  1901. 

ROBT.  A.  VAN  WYCK,  Mayor 
BIRD  S.  COLER,   Comptroller 
JOHN  WHALEN,  Corporation  Counsel 
RANDOLPH  GUGGENHEIMER, 

President  of  the  Council 
THOS.  L.  FEITNER, 

President  of  the  Department 
of  Taxes  and  Assessments 

THE  NEW  YORK  PUBLIC  LIBRARY, 
ASTOR,  LENOX,  AND  TILDEN  FOUNDATIONS: 

By  JOHN  BIGELOW,  President 
(corporate  seal) 

Attest : 

G.   L.   RIVES,  Secretary 

30 


NEW   YORK    DOCUMENTS 

This  contract  seems  to  me  in  every  respect  admirable,  and  is 
heartily  approved. 

ANDREW  CARNEGIE 

Skibo  Castle, 

June  24,  1 90 1 

II 

arjjt'8  ^fltcement,  made  and  concluded  the  26th  day  of 
March,  in  the  year  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and  two,  by  and 
between  The  City  OF  New  York,  by  the  Board  of  Estimate 
and  Apportionment  of  said  City,  party  of  the  first  part,  and 
The  New  York  Public  Library,  Astor,  Lenox  and  Til- 
den  Foundations,  party  of  the  second  part,  Witnesseth  : 

SSH^ttCaS,  an  agreement *  was  heretofore  made  and  concluded 
between  the  parties  hereto,  bearing  date  of  July  seventeenth,  in 
the  year  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and  one,  in  relation  to  the 
offer  of  Andrew  Carnegie  to  furnish  the  funds  necessary  for  the 
erection  of  buildings  for  sixty-five  free  branch  libraries  for  cir- 
culation in  the  City  of  New  York,  estimated  in  all  to  cost  the 
sum  of  five  million  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  ($5,200,000), 
being  an  average  cost  of  $80,000  each,  provided  the  City  of 
New  York  would  furnish  the  necessary  sites  for  such  buildings 
and  agree  to  provide  for  the  maintenance  of  such  branches  when 
completed,  and  which  said  agreement  was  made  by  and  between 
the  said  parties  hereto  in  pursuance  of  the  provisions  of  an  Act 
of  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York,  approved  April  26, 
1901,  entitled  "An  Act  to  authorize  and  empower  the  city  of 
New  York  to  establish  and  maintain  a  free  public  library  system," 
being  chapter  580  of  the  Laws  of  1901,2  and  by  which  said  agree- 
ment it  was  agreed  between  the  said  parties  hereto,  among  other 
things,  by  the  First  Article  of  the  said  agreement,  that  the  party 
of  the  first  part  hereto  shall  proceed  to  acquire  title  by  gift,  pur- 
chase, or  by  condemnation,  as  provided  in  said  Act,  to  such  sites 
as  shall  be  necessary  in  the  Boroughs  of  Manhattan,  The  Bronx 
and  Richmond,  for  the  purpose  of  the  erection  and  maintenance 
thereon  of  free  branch  public  libraries,  on  the  approval  in  each 
case  of  the  said  The  New  York  Public  Library,  Astor,  Lenox 
and  Tilden  Foundations,  which  sites  so  to  be  selected  and  ap- 
proved shall  not,  unless  by  mutual  consent,  exceed  in  number 
forty-two  in  the  said  Boroughs  of  Manhattan,  The  Bronx  and 
Richmond,  the  proportion  of  said  sixty-five  libraries  allotted  to 
said  Boroughs ;   and 

1  See  supra,  page  24.  3  See  supra,  page  22. 

31 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

<rZTlJ)rrc<TSt  the  parties  hereto  believe  that,  in  view  of  the 
sparsely  settled  condition  of  certain  parts  of  the  said  Boroughs  of 
Manhattan,  The  Bronx  and  Richmond,  it  would  be  of  great 
benefit  to  the  public  that  some  of  the  free  branch  libraries  to  be 
erected  in  those  Boroughs  should  be  small  buildings  costing 
considerably  less  than  $80,000  each  for  their  erection  and  equip- 
ment, and  that  the  number  of  sites  which  may  be  selected  and 
approved  as  aforesaid  for  free  branch  libraries  in  the  said  Bor- 
oughs should  therefore  be  increased  from  forty-two  to  fifty,  it 
being  understood,  however,  that  in  such  event  the  aggregate 
sum  to  be  furnished  by  the  said  Andrew  Carnegie  for  the  erec- 
tion and  equipment  of  the  said  fifty  free  branch  libraries  in  the 
said  Boroughs  shall  not  exceed  the  sum  contemplated  in  and 
by  the  said  agreement  of  July  seventeenth,  1901,  to  be  expended 
for  the  erection  and  equipment  of  free  branch  libraries  upon 
forty-two  sites ;  and 

£2Ui)0tcaS,  the  parties  hereto,  for  the  purposes  aforesaid,  have 
agreed  by  mutual  consent  that  the  number  of  sites  which  may 
be  selected  and  approved  for  free  branch  libraries  in  the  said 
Boroughs  of  Manhattan,  The  Bronx  and  Richmond  may  be 
increased  in  number  from  forty-two  to  not  exceeding  fifty  as 
aforesaid,  and  the  said  increase  has  been  approved  by  the  said 
Andrew  Carnegie ; 

Ttfoto,  therefore,  it  is  tntttttalls  consentetr  antr  afireefcby 

and  between  the  said  parties  hereto  as  follows,  namely : 

That  the  said  contract  of  July  17th,  1901,  is  hereby  amended 
so  as  to  permit  the  selection  of  not  to  exceed  fifty  sites  in  the 
Boroughs  of  Manhattan,  The  Bronx  and  Richmond,  instead  of 
forty-two  as  therein  recited,  provided  that  the  aggregate  cost  of 
the  erection  and  equipment  of  free  branch  libraries  upon  all 
of  the  said  fifty  sites  in  the  said  Boroughs  of  Manhattan,  The 
Bronx  and  Richmond  shall  not  exceed  the  sum  contemplated 
in  and  by  the  said  agreement  of  July  17th,  1901,  to  be  expended 
for  the  erection  and  equipment  of  free  branch  libraries  upon 
forty-two  sites. 

Xtt  totturss  tDljCtf  Of,  the  party  of  the  first  part  has  caused  this 
agreement  to  be  executed  by  the  Board  of  Estimate  and  Appor- 
tionment pursuant  to  a  resolution  adopted  at  a  meeting  held  on 
the  25th  day  of  March,  1902,  and  the  party  of  the  second  part 
has  caused  this  agreement  to  be  executed  by  its  President  and 
its  official  seal  to  be  hereto  affixed  pursuant  to  a  resolution  of 
the  Trustees  of  the  New  York  Public  Library,  Astor,  Lenox  and 

32 


NEW   YORK   DOCUMENTS 

Tilden  Foundations,  adopted  at  a  meeting  held  on  the  12th  day 
of  March,  1902. 

SETH  LOW,  Mayor 

EDWARD  M.  GROUT,  Comptroller 

C.  V.  FORNES, 

President  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen 
JACOB  A.  CANTOR, 

President  of  the  Borough  of  Manhattan 
J.  EDVV.  SWANSTROM, 

President  of  the  Borough  of  Brooklyn 
LOUIS  F.  HAFFEN, 

President  of  the  Borough  of  The  Bronx 
JOS.  CASSIDY, 

President  of  the  Borough  of  Queens 
GEORGE  CROMWELL, 

President  of  the  Borough  of  Richmond 

THE  NEW  YORK  PUBLIC  LIBRARY, 
ASTOR,  LENOX,  AND  TILDEN  FOUNDATIONS: 

By  JOHN  BIGELOW,  President 
(corporate  seal) 

Attest  ■ 

CHARLES  HOWLAND  RUSSELL,  Secretary 
Approved : 

ANDREW  CARNEGIE 

New  York,  March  12,  1902 


33 


CHAPTER    IV 

THE   ARCHITECTURE  OF   THE   MANHATTAN 
BRANCHES 

The  Nature  of  the  Branches  —  The  Architecture  a  Compromise  — 
Uniformity  of  Design  —  The  General  Type  Described  —  Conditions 
Imposed  by  the  Trustees  —  Text  of  the  Agreement  between  the 
Architects  and  Trustees 

AT  a  meeting  of  the  New  York  Library  Club,  May  12, 
1904,  Mr.  Walter  Cook,  of  the  firm  of  Babb,  Cook 
l.  &  Willard,  spoke  on  the  architectural  problems  en- 
countered in  building  these  branch  buildings.  The  following 
is  in  substance  a  part  of  what  he  said : 

"  The  Carnegie  branch  libraries  are,  as  is  doubtless  well  known 
to  you,  designed  and  built  by  three  firms  of  architects  who  were 
selected  by  the  trustees,  and  who  constitute  a. board  to  which 
all  designs  are  submitted,  and  by  which  each  one  must  be  ap- 
proved. Each  library  is  the  work  of  its  individual  architect; 
but  in  all  matters  of  common  import  regarding  design,  construc- 
tion, or  material,  they  act  in  collaboration,  and  advise  together 
and  with  the  trustees.  This  plan  of  co-operation  has  proved  of 
the  greatest  use ;  the  results  of  individual  experiences  become 
common  property,  and  every  new  building  profits  by  them  in 
some  degree.  The  various  vexed  questions  of  detail  are  gradu- 
ally getting  settled  and  assuming  definite  form  ;  and  many  points 
which  even  in  the  minds  of  the  practical  librarian  were  not  en- 
tirely clear  are,  I  think,  in  a  fair  way  of  becoming  so.  Many  of 
you  have  become  convinced  of  what  we  have  long  since  learned, 
—  that  all  architecture  is  a  series  of  compromises. 

"When  we  think  of  a  library,  most  of  us  have  in  mind  a  build- 
ing which  fulfils  two  distinct  purposes:  first,  the  storage  of  a 
large  number  of  books,  arranged  so  as  to  occupy  the  least  pos- 
sible space,  and  to  permit  of  the  easiest  accessibility  and  the 
most  convenient  classification,  —  in  other  words,  a  series  of 
stacks ;  and,  secondly,  large  and  well-lighted  rooms  for  readers. 
Incidentally,  if  the  books  are  to  be  lent,  there  must  be  proper 
arrangements   for  their  distribution  to   outside   readers.      The 

34 


MANHATTAN    BRANCHES 

branch  libraries  erected  thus  far  are  without  stacks  and  without 
any  very  considerable  storage  room  for  books ;  so  that  one  may 
almost  say  that  they  are  not  libraries,  in  the  strictest  sense  of 
the  term,  but  rather  free  reading  clubs.  They  are  not  even  this 
exclusively ;  for  a  number  of  them  have  been  provided  with  as- 
sembly or  lecture  rooms,  where  I  imagine  many  subjects  which 
are  not  strictly  literary  may  be  discoursed  upon.  It  seems  to 
me  that  in  these  cases  the  branch  libraries  become  in  reality 
popular  centres  for  the  spreading  of  literature,  and  for  the  dis- 
cussion of  literary,  scientific,  and  artistic  subjects. 

"  These  considerations  have  not  been  without  their  influence 
upon  the  architects  in  their  ideas  as  to  what  the  exterior  designs 
should  suggest.  There  has  been  little  or  no  suggestion  of  the 
housing  of  a  great  number  of  volumes ;  but  they  have  endeav- 
ored to  suggest  great,  well-lighted  rooms,  simplicity  and  serious- 
ness in  the  purposes  of  the  buildings,  and  a  public  and  municipal 
character.  When  the  first  discussions  took  place,  a  very  large 
number  of  slight  sketches  were  made  as  illustrations  of  the  dif- 
ferent ideas  entertained ;  and  it  soon  became  evident  that  many 
of  the  material  conditions  could  be  met  in  various  ways  and  with 
considerable  success. 

"  The  real  difficulty  was  to  produce  a  result  which  should  sacri- 
fice no  essential  requirement  of  these  branch  libraries,  and  which 
at  the  same  time  should  suggest  neither  a  department  store  with 
bargain  counters,  nor  a  so-called  billiard  parlor,  nor  even  a  fine 
modern  bookstore ;  but  something  a  little  more  public  in  its 
character,  a  little  more  in  harmony  with  the  great  gift  of  Mr. 
Carnegie,  and  the  great  liberality  of  the  City  of  New  York. 

"  From  a  report  made  to  the  trustees  before  any  of  the  build- 
ings were  designed,  I  quote  as  follows:  '  Tn  our  judgment,  from 
whatever  point  of  view  we  may  look  at  this  problem  it  seems 
best  that  the  libraries  should  be  built  not  only  after  a  distinctive 
type,  but  that  there  should  be  as  much  uniformity  in  the  design, 
use  of  materials,  general  character,  and  scale  of  the  different 
buildings  as  is  consistent  with  such  variations  as  are  bound  to 
exist  in  the  practical  requirements,  dimensions,  and  diversity  of 
sites  and  environment.  We  believe  that  these  differences  alone 
will  be  sufficient  to  produce  all  the  variety  which  is  advisable  or 
justifiable  from  an  artistic  point  of  view. 

"  '  We  have  reached  these  conclusions  mainly  for  the  following 
reasons : 

"  'Artistically,  we  believe  that  the  general  tendency  in  the  so- 
lution of  important  problems  of  this  character  in  America  to-day 
is  decidedly  in  the  direction  of  too  much  variety;   really,  variety 

35 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

for  variety's  sake,  without  sufficient  foundation  or  logical  rea- 
sons, and  all  precedent  of  successful  work  of  this  character  is  in 
support  of  our  recommendation  that  there  should  be  no  variety 
where  the  problem  repeats  itself,  excepting  in  so  far  as  the  con- 
ditions may  differ. 

"  '  Provided  that  the  general  type,  character,  and  materials  are 
established  in  the  first  instance  with  care  and  judgment,  the 
problem  will  then  consist  in  developing  the  initial  idea  rather 
than  experimenting  with  new  ideas  on  each  successive  building. 

"  '  From  the  point  of  view  of  sentiment,  it  seems  to  us  to  follow 
as  a  matter  of  course  that  these  buildings,  being  parts  of  one 
great  scheme,  and  moreover  the  gift  of  one  man,  should  be  dis- 
tinctive and  recognizable  as  being  related  to  each  other,  with 
the  same  degree  of  similarity  as  prevails  in  the  French  type  of 
the  H6tel  de  Ville  or  the  German  type  of  Rathhaus,  or  the  type 
of  the  Gothic  cathedral.  The  reason  for  this  is  somewhat  dif- 
ferent in  each  of  these  cases  ;  but  it  would  seem  to  us  to  be  even 
more  necessary  in  your  case  where  the  interrelation  of  the  build- 
ings is  less  marked  and  the  danger  of  their  becoming  individual 
factors  is  greater.' 

"  The  buildings  were,  accordingly,  designed  from  this  stand- 
point; and  when,  after  the  preliminary  discussion  of  which  I 
have  already  spoken,  a  certain  type,  following  in  a  broad 
general  way  certain  Italian  precedents,  was  decided  upon,  a 
conscious  endeavor  was  made  not  to  depart  very  widely  from 
it.  It  has,  however,  certainly  been  the  case,  that  the  difference 
in  the  size  of  the  sites,  the  character  of  the  neighborhoods,  and, 
more  than  all,  the  individuality  of  the  different  architects,  have 
resulted  in  considerable  differences  in  the  appearance  of  these 
buildings.  Do  our  best,  we  cannot  all  succeed  in  speaking  the 
same  architectural  language;  nor  is  it  to  be  desired  that  we 
should.  And  the  original  type  has  in  some  cases  been  followed 
from  a  very  respectful  distance,  so  that  it  does  not  seem  to  me 
that  any  excessive  uniformity  is  to  be  feared;  rather  it  may  be 
difficult  to  avoid  a  too  great  variety  of  appearance.  Up  to  this 
present  time,  however,  it  may  be  fairly  said  that  the  different 
branches  can  be  recognized  as  having  some  kinship,  and  as 
belonging  to  the  same  parent  stock. 

"The  interior  dispositions  of  the  branch  libraries  have  in 
general  been  of  extreme  simplicity.  Each  storey  has  been 
treated  as  one  large  room,  with  the  walls  lined  with  book 
shelves,  and  with  all  necessary  subdivisions  made  by  means  of 
bookcases  or  screens.  The  stairs  are  placed  against  one  of  the 
side  walls,  and  particular  attention  has  been  given  that  every 

36 


MANHATTAN    BRANCHES 

part  of  the  library  should  be  in  plain  view,  so  that  a  few  persons 
could  oversee  everything.  In  order  that  the  various  small 
rooms,  toilets  and  the  like,  should  occupy  as  little  floor  space 
as  possible,  and  consequently  cut  off  as  little  light  as  possible, 
they  have  in  a  number  of  cases  been  placed  in  mezzanine 
storeys,  opening  from  the  landing  of  the  staircases ;  so  that 
each  of  the  principal  storeys  has  two  of  these  rooms,  one  over 
the  other.  In  the  few  cases  where  they  are  built  on  the  corners 
of  streets,  great  and  very  advantageous  modifications  have  been 
possible. 

"  Among  the  conditions  imposed  by  the  trustees,  there  was  one 
which  was  somewhat  of  a  surprise  to  the  architects,  and  which 
was  a  controlling  factor  in  their  designs.  This  was  the  require- 
ment that  every  library  building  should  advertise  itself  as  such, 
by  having  a  reading  room  near  enough  to  the  sidewalk  level 
for  passers  by  to  look  as  it  were  into  a  show  window  and  see 
the  readers.  This  led  to  an  entrance  on  the  side  of  the  facade 
in  every  case  except  where  the  buildings  were  on  a  corner, 
since  a  middle  entrance  would  have  cut  this  reading  room  in 
two.  Had  this  not  been  a  necessity,  it  is  probable  that  some 
of  us,  at  least,  would  have  tried  to  make  a  design  with  a  low 
storey  containing  an  entrance  in  the  middle,  and  the  principal 
reading  room  in  the  storey  above  this,  with  an  uninterrupted 
window  front.  But  this  and  other  conditions  we  have  en- 
deavored to  meet,  and  I  hope  and  believe  that  the  results  will 
not  bring  discredit  either  upon  us  or  those  who  selected  us  for 
the  work;  I  only  trust  that  the  results  may  be  judged  with  the 
indulgence  to  which  all  architect's  work  is  entitled.  When 
Charles  Gamier  had  finished  the  Paris  Opera  House,  and  wrote 
his  book  about  it,  he  said  (I  quote  from  memory)  that  as  he 
reviewed  and  judged  all  that  he  had  accomplished  he  saw  a 
good  many  things  that  he  wished  he  had  done  otherwise,  and 
a  good  many  things  upon  which  he  could  honestly  congratulate 
himself.  Remember,  he  says,  that  of  all  artists  the  architect 
is  the  only  one  who  never  sees  his  own  creations  until  it  is  too 
late  to  change  them.  The  painter  retouches  his  picture  even 
on  varnishing  day;  if  it  displeases  him  he  paints  out  his  whole 
composition  and  starts  again.  The  sculptor  works  over  his 
clay,  taking  off  or  adding  till  he  is  finally  satisfied  with  his 
statue.  The  composer  rewrites  a  whole  act  of  his  opera,  a  year 
after  it  has  been  performed,  if  he  wishes ;  or  like  Beethoven 
composes  three  successive  overtures  to  Fidclio.  Only  the 
architect  does  his  best  with  brain  and  pencil,  and  first  sees  his 
results  when  it  is  too  late  to  do  anything." 

37 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

It  may  be  interesting  in  this  connection  to  read  the  text  of  the 
agreement  between  the  trustees  and  the  architects.  While  its 
terms  were  based  upon  local  conditions  which  might  not  be  found 
in  any  other  city,  the  general  relations  between  the  contracting 
parties  must  be  of  interest  to  trustees  of  other  libraries. 

^rttClfS  Of  &flreemcilt  made  and  entered  into  this  seventh 
day  of  November,  in  the  year  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
one,  by  and  between  The  New  York  Public  Library,  Astor, 
Lenox  and  Tilden  Foundations,  party  of  the  first  part,  and 
the  three  copartnerships  or  firms  known  as  Babb,  Cook  & 
WlLLARD,  CARRERE  &  HASTINGS,  and  McKlM,  MEAD  &  WHITE, 
all  of  the  City  of  New  York,  parties  of  the  second  part. 

For  the  sake  of  brevity  the  party  of  the  first  part  is  herein- 
after designated  as  "  The  Trustees,"  and  the  three  firms  con- 
stituting the  parties  of  the  second  part  are  designated  as 
"  the  Architects." 

SOijtteas,  on  or  about  the  17th  day  of  July,  1901,  the  Trus- 
tees entered  into  an  agreement  with  the  City  of  New  York,1 
whereby  they  agreed,  among  other  things,  that  upon  the  acqui- 
sition or  approval  by  the  City  of  New  York  of  library  sites 
within  the  boroughs  of  Manhattan,  The  Bronx  and  Richmond, 
the  Trustees  would  proceed  to  erect  thereon  forty-two  branch 
libraries  for  circulation  and  equip  the  same,  the  expense  thereof 
to  be  paid  from  funds  to  be  furnished  by  Andrew  Carnegie  as 
by  the  said  contract  (a  copy  of  which  is  hereto  annexed)  will 
more  fully  appear;   and 

£<£HjCrCcIS  the  Trustees  have  resolved  to  employ  the  parties  of 
the  second  part  to  render  services  in  regard  to  said  buildings, 
and  the  Architects  have  accepted  the  said  employment  and  the 
parties  are  desirous  of  adjusting  the  terms  and  conditions  of  the 
said  employment: 

Ttfoto,  &\)tvztor:t,  tljfs  agreement  saaitnesseti),  as 
follotos: 

JFlCSt :  The  Architects  hereby  severally  undertake  and  agree 
to  and  with  the  Trustees  to  furnish  and  perform  services  as 
Architects  in  designing  and  preparing  plans  and  specifications 
for  the  construction  and  equipment  of  the  said  buildings  or  such 
of  them  as  the  Trustees  may  request  the  Architects  to  design, 
including  the  fixtures,  fittings,  furniture  and  accessories  thereof; 
and  also  in  supervising  the  erection  and  completion  for  occupa- 
tion of  such  buildings.     And  the  Trustees  hereby  retain    and 

1  See  supra,  page  24. 

38 


D.  C.  French,  so  li 


i.  N.  V 
I  lUSt  of 

COLONEL   JAMES    ANDERSON, 
found<  i 
'    I      INDERSON    LIBRARY   ]\  il  KV   CITY" 


i .',    A     B.  BOCART.  N    V. 


THE   W(  il1  KINO  MAN 
From  tli'.-  artist' .  modi  I  for  I  hi    Indi  i  i  m  Mi 


MANHATTAN    BRANCHES 

employ  the  Architects  to  perform  the  aforesaid  services  and 
agree  to  pay  them  therefor  their  fees  for  services  rendered 
hereunder  at  the  rates  hereinafter  specified. 

JSsCCQltTf:  The  designing  of  each  one  of  the  said  buildings 
and  the  supervision  of  its  construction  shall  be  separately 
entrusted  by  allotment  to  one  of  the  three  firms  of  Architects, 
parties  hereto  of  the  second  part.  Such  allotments  shall  be 
made  from  time  to  time  by  agreement  between  the  Architects, 
subject,  however,  in  every  case  to  the  approval  of  the  Trustees. 

3TJ)tVtt:  The  Architects  shall  act  in  collaboration  and  shall 
unite  in  all  recommendations  to  the  Trustees  regarding  designs 
or  construction  or  other  matters  of  common  import  relating  to 
the  buildings  to  be  erected  as  aforesaid ;  and  the  Architects 
shall  act  at  all  times  as  an  Advisory  Board  to  the  Trustees  in 
all  matters  pertaining  to  the  work  entrusted  to  them  respec- 
tively or  in  any  way  relating  to  any  of  the  buildings  to  be 
erected  under  the  said  contract  with  The  City  of  New  York, 
dated  July  17,  1901.  All  plans  for  any  of  the  said  buildings 
prepared  by  any  of  the  parties  of  the  second  part  shall,  before 
being  submitted  for  approval  to  the  Trustees,  be  approved  in 
writing  by  a  majority  of  the  Advisory  Board.  The  Trustees 
may  also  at  any  time  call  upon  all  the  said  Architects  to  express 
their  opinion  as  a  Board  with  regard  to  any  details  of  the  said 
buildings. 

jFOUVtf):  It  is  distinctly  understood  that  in  designing  and 
supervising  the  construction  of  the  buildings  hereinbefore  men- 
tioned each  firm  of  Architects  stands  toward  the  Trustees  and 
the  Trustees  stand  toward  such  firm  in  the  ordinary  relation  of 
architect  and  client,  and  that  all  plans  and  specifications  sub- 
mitted are  to  be  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Trustees  in  every 
particular. 

jFlftl) :  The  Trustees  agree  to  employ  and  pay  a  Clerk  of  the 
Works,  who  shall  act  under  the  instructions  of  the  different 
Architects  with  respect  to  each  building  whose  construction  is 
being  supervised  by  them. 

<Sbt'Vtf) :  The  fees  of  each  of  the  three  firms  of  Architects, 
parties  hereto,  are  to  be  as  follows : 

Five  per  cent  upon  the  total  cost  of  the  first  building 
designed  by  such  firm. 

Four  per  cent  upon  the  total  cost  of  the  second  build- 
ing designed  by  such  firm. 

Three  and  a  half  per  cent  upon  the  total  cost  of  all 
other  buildings  designed  by  such  firm. 

39 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

In  computing  such  percentages  the  cost  of  each  building  is  to 
be  taken  to  include  all  fixtures  necessary  to  render  the  building 
complete  for  occupation,  but  not  furniture  not  designed  or 
selected  by  the  Architects.  No  special  rate  for  ornamental  or 
decorative  work  or  designs  for  furniture  in  excess  of  the  general 
compensation  of  a  percentage  upon  the  cost  of  the  work  shall 
be  charged,  and  no  charge  shall  be  made  for  mural  decorations 
except  when  designed  by  the  Architects,  any  custom  of  Archi- 
tects to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

The  fees  herein  provided  for  are  intended  to  include  full  pro- 
fessional services  in  designing  and  supervising  the  construction 
of  the  buildings  entrusted  to  each  firm  respectively,  and  in  addi- 
tion all  services  of  an  advisory  character  rendered  by  the  Archi- 
tects to  the  Trustees. 

cScUcntl) :  Payment  of  the  fee  for  each  building  is  to  be  made 
as  follows  : 

One-fifth  of  the  total  fee  upon  the  completion  of  the 
preliminary  sketches. 

One-half  of  the  remainder  of  the  fee  upon  the  amount 
of  each  contract  duly  awarded. 

The  balance  of  the  fee  upon  the  amount  of  each  cer- 
tificate duly  given  by  the  Architects  to  the  contractors. 

Payments  made  on  the  completion  of  preliminary  sketches 
are  to  be  based  upon  the  proposed  cost  of  the  work,  and  are  to 
be  credited  on  account  of  the  total  fee,  subject  to  adjustment 
and  subsequent  payments  when  the  actual  cost  of  the  work  is 
determined.  Should  the  work  on  any  building  be  suspended  or 
unusually  delayed,  the  Architects  of  such  buildings  shall  be 
entitled  to  receive  the  payment  on  account  of  fees  that  would 
then  be  due,  if  the  work  had  proceeded  with  reasonable  dili- 
gence, upon  the  basis  of  the  above  subdivision  of  services. 

2Slfll)tf) :  No  consulting  engineers  are  to  be  employed  at  the 
expense  of  the  Trustees  except  by  mutual  agreement. 

TSTtlttl) :  The  Architects  severally  agree  that  upon  the  com- 
pletion of  each  building  they  will  furnish  without  further  charge 
a  full  set  of  drawings  exhibiting  all  the  essential  parts  of  its  de- 
sign and  construction  for  future  reference,  such  set  of  drawings 
to  be  the  property  of  the  Library  Trustees. 

2Tcnt!):  The  Trustees  shall  have  the  right  in  their  discretion 
from  time  to  time  to  add  other  members  to  the  Advisory  Board 
herein  provided  for,  such  additional  members  to  have  the  same 
powers  and  duties  in  all  respects  as  though  originally  named 
herein. 

40 


MANHATTAN    BRANCHES 

23lcbrntf):  Notwithstanding  the  general  language  hereinbe- 
fore employed,  it  is  expressly  understood  that  the  building  to  be 
erected  on  lots  known  as  Numbers  220  and  222  East  79th  Street 
is  not  to  be  designed  nor  its  construction  supervised  by  any  of 
the  Architects,  parties  hereto ;  but  the  Trustees  shall  have  the 
right  to  call  upon  the  Architects  for  advice  in  relation  thereto 
in  the  manner  hereinbefore  provided.1 

Ktt  totttteSS  thereof  the  party  of  the  first  part,  acting  by  its 
Executive  Committee,  has  caused  these  Presents  to  be  attested 
by  its  President  and  Secretary  and  the  parties  of  the  second  part 
have  hereunto  subscribed  their  names  on  the  day  and  year  first 
above  written. 

THE  NEW  YORK  PUBLIC  LIBRARY, 
ASTOR,  LENOX  AND  TILDEN  FOUNDATIONS : 
G.  L.  RIVES,  Secretary  By  JOHN  BIGELOW,  President 

BABB,  COOK  &  WILLARD 
CARRERE  &  HASTINGS 
McKIM,  MEAD  &  WHITE 

1  This  building,  known  as  the  Yorkville  Branch,  was  designed  by  the  late  James 
Brown  Lord.  Another  branch  building  designed  by  a  firm  not  represented  in 
the  advisory  board  of  architects  is  the  one  on  noth  Street,  designed  by  Herts  & 
Tallant.  — T.  W.  K. 


At 


CHAPTER   V 
CARNEGIE   LIBRARIES  AND   GOOD   READING1 

By  Arthur  E.  Bostwick,  Ph.D.,  Chief  of  the  Circulating 
Department,  New  York  Public  Library,  1901-1909 

The  Growth  of  the  Library  Movement  —  The  Increase  in  Reading  — 
The  Need  for  Metropolitan  Branch  Libraries  —  Quality  of  the 
Reading  Done  —  The  Percentage  of  Fiction  —  The  Development 
of  Circulating  Libraries  in  New  York 

STRIKING  as  it  is,  the  multiplication  and  development  of 
public  libraries  in  recent  years  has  yet  hardly  received 
intelligent  study  and  analysis.  It  is  regarded  sometimes 
as  due  to  the  rash  generosity  of  a  few  wealthy  men  like  Mr.  Car- 
negie, who  have  stimulated  it  by  gifts  of  palatial  buildings. 
Sometimes  it  is  looked  upon  as  simply  a  phase  of  the  move- 
ment for  universal  popular  education.  Although  neither  of 
these  standpoints  is  to  be  disregarded,  another  and  a  wider  one 
is  truer  and  more  philosophical.  It  is  that  which  recognizes 
the  public  library  movement  as  simply  one  phase  of  a  response 
to  a  wider  popular  demand  for  reading  matter.  Neither  the 
philanthropist,  the  educator,  nor  the  librarian  himself  is  very 
ready  to  accept  this  view.  The  philanthropist  is  willing  to 
believe  that  his  benefactions  have  given  the  chief  impulse  to  the 
library  movement;  the  educator  sees  in  it  only  a  result  of  his 
own  efforts  toward  general  culture ;  the  librarian  likes  to  think 
that  he  is  guiding  the  great  public  in  this  matter;  whereas  it 
is  probably  nearer  the  truth  to  say  that  the  public  is  leading 
the  librarian. 

The  enormous  increase  in  reading  at  the  present  day  scarcely 
needs  demonstration.  It  is  shown,  in  the  first  place,  by  the 
rate  at  which  books  are  thrown  on  the  market  from  the  presses. 
They  follow  one  another  so  rapidly  as  to  justify  the  phrase  "a 
literary  deluge,"  applied  to  them  by  a  recent  writer.     Their  very 

1  From  the  Criterion  Magazine,  New  York,  February  7,  1903,  with  some  revision 
and  additions. 

42 


GOOD   READING 

titles  crowd  our  publishers'  trade  lists  and  overload  our  library 
catalogues. 

There  must  be  a  market  for  this  output,  for  our  publishers  are 
shrewd  business  men.  The  supply  has  certainly  not  outrun  the 
demand,  for  during  the  past  two  years  there  has  been  a  general 
increase  of  prices  in  current  literature,  which  has  caused  some 
restlessness  but  no  diminution  of  purchases.  The  conclusion  to 
be  drawn  from  these  facts  alone  is  that  there  is  more  reading 
to-day  than  ever  before  in  the  world's  history.  And  this  con- 
clusion is  borne  out  by  the  experience  of  our  public  circulating 
libraries. 

Over  thirty  per  cent  more  books,  for  instance,  are  withdrawn 
for  home  reading  from  the  libraries  that  now  make  up  the  Cir- 
culating Department  of  the  New  York  Public  Library  than 
were  so  withdrawn  from  the  same  libraries  only  five  years  ago. 
What  does  this  mean?  Is  individual  reading  on  the  increase, 
or  do  more  people  read?  The  clientele  of  a  public  library  is  so 
fluctuating  that  it  is  difficult  to  get  exact  information  on  this 
point,  but  recently  collected  data  leave  little  doubt  that  the 
latter  is  the  case.  In  the  New  York  Public  Library  the  average 
amount  read  by  the  individual  user  is  even  slightly  on  the 
decrease.  Increased  circulation  therefore  means  an  enlarged 
constituency. 

According  to  this  view  the  increase  of  libraries  is  simply  the 
response  to  an  energetic  popular  demand,  and  the  generosity 
of  an  Andrew  Carnegie  has  but  followed  the  line  of  least  resist- 
ance—  or  rather  of  greatest  impulse.  And  even  where  a  mil- 
lionaire donor  stands  ready  to  give  money  for  buildings,  the 
public,  with  few  exceptions,  has  shown  itself  increasingly  willing 
to  contribute  even  greater  sums  for  sites  and  maintenance,  which 
could  be  the  case  only  where  there  is  a  settled  conviction  that 
more  facilities  for  reading  would  meet  a  popular  want. 

Of  course  it  cannot  be  denied  that  this  popular  desire  for 
reading  has  been  stimulated  and  fostered  by  the  free  public 
library.  The  action  has  doubtless  been  reciprocal,  as  with  the 
proverbial  man  who  takes  more  cheese  to  eat  with  his  bread 
and  then  more  bread  to  eat  with  his  cheese.  But,  as  with  the 
bread-and-cheese  eater,  this  reciprocal  action  cannot  go  on  for- 
ever. It  is  self-limited.  Desire  for  reading  may  stimulate  the 
establishment  of  libraries,  and  the  libraries  in  turn  may  stimu- 

43 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

late  desire  for  reading,  but  this  cannot  pass  the  point  of  satiety, 
even  if  the  millionaire  donor  stands  ready  to  buy  bread  and 
cheese  at  will. 

The  point  of  repletion,  however,  is  still  very  far  off;  we  have 
not  even  reached  that  of  reasonable  satisfaction.  The  number 
of  people  served  by  a  circulating  library  is  limited  to  those  living 
within  a  small  area  surrounding  it.  Probably  in  most  cases  nine- 
tenths  of  its  users  are  included  in  a  circle  with  a  radius  of  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile.  A  city  that  has  but  one  library  building 
must  necessarily  be  inadequately  served,  and  even  the  establish- 
ment of  delivery  stations  goes  but  a  little  way  toward  solving 
the  problem.  Nothing  will  do  but  a  system  of  true  branch 
libraries,  each  with  its  own  stock  of  books,  from  which  the  user 
can  select  what  he  wants  instead  of  hunting  in  a  list  for  some- 
thing that  he  probably  cannot  get.  And  the  development  of 
branch  libraries,  although  proceeding  rapidly,  has  only  begun. 
In  New  York,  when  all  the  pending  consolidations  have  been 
effected,  the  Public  Library  will  have  about  twenty  branches. 
This  number  is  so  inadequate  that,  outside  of  the  half-million 
people  who  use  these  branch  libraries,  there  are  comparatively 
few  who  know  of  their  location,  or  even  of  their  existence,  though 
they  distribute  four  and  one-half  millions  of  volumes  yearly.  A 
newly  established  branch  in  a  part  of  the  city  hitherto  destitute 
of  library  facilities  gathers  around  it  a  constituency  at  once,  and 
creates  a  circulation  of  thousands  of  books  per  month  without 
drawing  from  the  users  of  other  branch  libraries. 

One  by  one  these  new  libraries  are  added  to  the  city's  re- 
sources. When  the  Carnegie  fund  shall  have  been  exhausted, 
they  will  number  in  Greater  New  York  not  less  than  seventy, 
including  those  administered  by  the  public  libraries  of  the 
Boroughs  of  Brooklyn  and  Queens.  That  number  would  be 
sufficient  to-day;  it  is  absolutely  certain  that  it  will  be  insuffi- 
cient a  quarter  of  a  century  hence.  It  may  not  even  be  suffi- 
cient by  the  time  that  the  present  scheme  has  been  carried  out. 
Doubtless  the  city  or  some  private  donor  will  see  that  it  is  prop- 
erly supplemented  when  the  time  comes.  But  those  honest 
souls  who  fear  lest  private  munificence  and  public  spirit  may 
already  have  gone  too  far  in  library  matters,  simply  do  not 
understand  the  situation.  Those  who  have  watched  the  growth 
of  public  circulating  libraries  in   New  York  from  the  day  — 

44 


GOOD    READING 

twenty  years  ago  —  when  the  first  free  circulating  library  had  its 
birth  in  a  charitable  sewing-class  down-town,  and  who  have  been 
familiar  with  the  city's  needs,  had  been  hoping  and  praying  for 
a  donation  like  Mr.  Carnegie's  for  years  before  it  came.  To  the 
fact  that  it  has  come,  and  to  the  added  facts  that  local  boards  of 
library  trustees  have  been  actuated  by  a  broad  rather  than  a 
merely  parochial  spirit,  and  that  the  city  has  gone  more  than 
half-way  in  approving  and  supporting  the  plan,  we  owe  the 
present  hopeful  state  of  affairs  in  New  York. 

And  what  is  true  of  New  York  is  true  of  the  country  at  large. 
Mr.  Carnegie's  shower  of  libraries  has  no  more  satisfied  the 
library  needs  of  the  United  States  than  an  hour's  downpour  on  a 
July  afternoon  satisfies  the  needs  of  a  summer.  The  ground  is 
thirsty ;  and  many  more  such  showers  must  come  before  it  is 
saturated. 

So  far  I  have  spoken  only  of  quantity.  How  about  quality? 
Granted  that  the  public  has  not  yet  received  all  that  it  wants, 
are  its  desires  healthy  and  normal? 

It  must  be  acknowledged,  of  course,  that  the  percentage  of 
fiction  withdrawn  from  a  public  circulating  library  is  large. 
This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  public  does  its  recreative  read- 
ing at  home,  while  books  used  for  study  or  serious  work  are 
consulted  in  the  library  building,  if,  indeed,  they  are  not  owned 
by  the  user.  As  most  recreative  reading  is  in  the  line  of  fic- 
tion, we  may  expect  the  circulation  percentage  of  this  class  to 
be  high,  especially  as  it  includes  most  of  the  reading  done  by 
children.  To  condemn  all  reading  for  recreation  is  of  course 
absurd,  and  it  is  equally  absurd  to  assume  that  all  reading  of 
fiction  is  valueless,  while  all  reading  outside  of  this  class  is  seri- 
ous and  beneficial.  Still,  it  is  usual  to  regard  the  amount  of 
non-fiction  circulated  in  a  library  as  in  some  degree  a  measure 
of  its  usefulness.  If  we  accept  this  test,  the  recent  mania  for 
reading  has  certainly  not  corresponded  with  an  increased 
demand  for  trash.  Most  libraries  find  that  the  proportional 
amount  of  fiction  withdrawn  for  home  use  has  decreased  dur- 
ing the  last  ten  years.  In  New  York,  from  1886  to  1896,  the 
percentage  never  fell  below  71.  In  two  of  these  years  it  went 
up  to  74.  Since  1896  it  has  never  exceeded  68,  and  in  1906  it 
has  reached  a  minimum  —  58  per  cent.  This  does  not  look  as 
if  increase  of  library  facilities  meant  increase  of  fiction-reading, 

45 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

or  as  if  there  were  reason  to  fear  such  an  increase  from  bene- 
factions like  Mr.  Carnegie's.1 

Of  course  there  is  one  aspect  of  fiction-reading,  quite  inde- 
pendent of  the  literary  quality  of  the  reading  matter,  that  is  some- 
what disquieting.  Certain  kinds  of  fiction  act  as  stimulants,  and, 
like  other  stimulants,  they  may  be  used  or  abused.  With  some 
kinds  of  stimulants  any  use  is  an  abuse,  but  even  fiction  that  stim- 
ulates beneficially  when  read  moderately  may  be  harmful  when 
read  to  excess.  The  stimulation  of  the  imagination  by  a  book  may 
be  most  valuable,  but  when  such  stimulation  is  made  an  end  in  itself 
—  when  the  reader  eagerly  devours  anything  and  everything  that 
will  give  him  the  expected  "  thrill  "  —  then  it  becomes  harmful. 
The  result  of  the  continued  application  of  such  a  stimulant  may  in- 
jure the  brain  just  as  truly  as  whiskey  or  opium,  and  we  may  have 
fiction  drunkards  as  well  as  those  ruined  by  alcohol  or  narcotics. 

Now  in  all  cases  of  this  kind  the  first  effort  of  the  enthusiastic 
amateur  reformer  is  usually  to  shut  off  or  control  the  source  of 
supply.  Such  control  is  valuable,  but  it  does  not  go  to  the  root 
of  the  matter.  Control  your  saloon  by  a  license  system,  abolish 
it,  if  you  will,  by  a  prohibitory  law  ;  there  will  still  be  drunkards 
as  long  as  men  want  to  drink.  So  with  the  fiction  drunkard. 
He  will  continue  to  exist  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  librarian 
and  the  teacher,  so  long  as  he  wants  to  exist.  This  is  not  a 
question  of  good  or  bad  literature.  Probably  well-written  fiction 
is  worse  than  trash  when  used  as  an  intellectual  intoxicant,  for 
it  does  its  work  more  surely.  Weeding  out  trash  from  our 
libraries  will  not  stop   inordinate   fiction-reading;   it  might  be 

1  "  It  is  often  charged  against  free  libraries  that  fiction  is  the  principal  depart- 
ment called  upon  by  their  frequenters.  I  see  no  objection  to  this,  even  if  it  be 
true.  Indeed,  it  is  certain  proof  that  free  libraries  are  urgently  required;  for  a 
taste  for  reading  must  be  implanted  in  the  masses  if  they  are  to  be  greatly  improved, 
and  the  young  are  best  attracted  by  works  of  fiction  ;  but,  while  they  swallow  the 
alluring  bait,  the  end  sought  for  is  being  attained.  They  cannot  read  without  ac- 
quiring what  John  liright  called  the  chief  acquirement  of  his  life  —  a  taste  for  read- 
ing. They  who  begin  with  fiction  generally  end  with  solid  literature.  They  float 
first  upon  these  bladders  in  shallow  waters,  but  arc  constantly  learning  the  art,  and 
will  soon  swim  in  waters  which  before  were  beyond  their  depths.  There  is  another 
view  :  the  tired  and  wearied  toiler  is  subjected  to  monotonous  labor  day  after  day, 
week  after  week  ;  what  is  there  that  will  brighten  his  existence  and  renew  his  ener- 
gies equal  to  a  masterpiece  of  fiction,  which  arouses  his  imagination,  carries  him 
into  enchanted  regions,  shows  him  pictures  that  dazzle,  leads  him  through  palaces 
surpassing  those  of  Aladdin,  and  gives  him  a  world  to  revel  in  far  removed  from 
the  world  of  his  daily  toils  and  cares?"  —  From  an  Address  by  Mr.  Caknkgik  at 
the  opening  of  the  Peterhead  (Scotland)  Free  Library,  August  8,  1891. 

46 


GOOD    READING 

lessened  by  suppressing  library  fiction  altogether,  but  this  would 
be  like  suppressing  groceries  to  stop  gluttony.  As  soon  as 
people  realize  that  any  form  of  stimulation,  physical  or  mental, 
may  be  pursued  to  an  injurious  extent,  and  when  they  know  how 
to  stop  reading,  as  they  would  stop  drinking,  as  soon  as  they 
realize  that  the  stimulation  is  an  aim  with  them  instead  of  an 
incident,  the  trouble  will  end. 

We  may  conclude,  then,  that  neither  the  quantity  nor  the 
quality  of  individual  reading  is  likely  to  be  injuriously  affected 
by  the  spread  of  a  free  library  system.  In  New  York  certainly 
those  who  have  the  matter  in  charge  have  no  doubts  on  the 
subject.  Fortunately  they  are  the  very  ones  who  have  guided 
and  controlled  the  free  library  movement  here  from  its  incep- 
tion, so  that  it  is  now  in  no  inexperienced  hands. 

The  development  of  branch  circulating  libraries  in  New  York 
is  interesting  enough  to  deserve  a  paragraph  or  two.  When  the 
consolidation  of  the  great  reference  libraries  took  place  in  1895, 
the  resulting  institution  took  the  name  of  the  New  York  Public 
Library,  but  it  then,  and  for  several  years  afterward,  lacked  what 
is  now  considered  as  one  of  the  most  important  departments  of 
a  great  public  library,  namely,  that  concerned  with  the  loan  of 
books  for  home  reading.  In  the  contract  by  which  the  city 
undertook  to  give  the  Library  a  fitting  home  in  the  magnificent 
building  now  in  process  of  erection  on  Bryant  Park,  it  was  stip- 
ulated that  such  a  department  should  be  included  in  it;  but,  as 
has  been  said  already,  for  the  adequate  distribution  of  books  for 
home  use,  not  one,  but  many  centres  are  necessary.  This  city 
then  included  a  number  of  branch  libraries  controlled  by  private 
corporations  but  largely  supported  by  the  municipality,  although 
it  was  under  no  agreement  to  furnish  such  support.  Feeling  that 
consolidiation  with  the  Public  Library  would,  on  the  one  hand, 
give  it  the  needed  nucleus  for  a  system  of  branches,  and  that  on 
the  other  hand  the  smaller  institutions  would  be  strengthened  by 
being  merged  in  the  larger,  the  trustees  of  one  after  another  have 
consented  to  give  up  their  corporate  existence,  and  a  separate 
section  of  the  Public  Library  has  been  organized  under  the  name 
of  the  Circulating  Department.  The  committee  in  charge  of  this 
department  is  made  up  of  former  trustees  of  the  once  independ- 
ent libraries  that  compose  it,  and  those  libraries  have  maintained 
their  continuity  under  the  new  management. 

47 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

This  was  already  the  state  of  affairs  when,  in  March,  1901, 
Andrew  Carnegie  made  his  now  famous  offer  of  over  five  mil- 
lions of  dollars  to  the  city  of  New  York  for  branch  libraries. 
Although  no  mention  of  the  New  York  Public  Library  was  made 
in  this  offer,  it  was  generally  understood  that  the  money  was  to 
be  expended  by  that  institution  as  Mr.  Carnegie's  agent,  and  that 
the  buildings  erected  with  it  were  to  be  operated  as  branches  of 
the  Circulating  Department.  Mr.  Carnegie  had  served  for  years 
as  a  trustee  of  the  New  York  Free  Circulating  Library,  the  first 
of  the  branch  systems  to  enter  the  consolidation,  and  he  was 
familiar  with  the  needs  of  the  city.  He  expressed  himself  to 
Dr.  John  S.  Billings,  the  director  of  the  Library,  as  willing  to 
meet  those  needs ;  and  in  the  extent  and  manner  of  his  bene- 
faction he  was  presumably  guided  by  Dr.  Billings's  views  of  the 
situation.  As  a  natural  result,  a  contract  was  entered  into  be- 
tween the  city  and  the  Library,  in  which  the  former  agreed  to 
provide  sites  for  the  new  buildings  at  a  rate  not  to  exceed  ten 
a  year,  and  to  furnish  money  for  their  maintenance,  the  Library 
on  its  part  agreeing  to  plan  and  erect  the  buildings  and  to  ad- 
minister them  as  branch  circulating  libraries,  free  to  the  public, 
when  they  should  be  completed. 

In  erecting  buildings,  at  least  in  the  Borough  of  Manhattan, 
where  most  of  them  are  naturally  to  be,  the  Library  has  been 
forced  to  adapt  itself  to  rather  unfavorable  circumstances.  The 
ideal  small  library,  with  its  low  walls,  spreading  wings,  and  airy 
surroundings,  can  find  no  place  in  a  crowded  city  where  every 
square  foot  of  ground  is  precious.  A  branch  library  in  such  a 
region  must  spread  upward  instead  of  superficially,  and  its  de- 
partments must  be  located  one  over  the  other.  Thus  some 
branches  of  its  work  will  be  placed  at  a  disadvantage.  In  most 
such  buildings  the  general  adult  circulating  room  will  go  on  the 
main  floor,  the  children's  room  on  the  second  floor,  and  the 
reading  room  on  the  third.  In  some  there  will  be  an  assembly 
room,  either  in  the  basement  or  at  the  top  of  the  building.  All 
will  have  an  apartment  for  the  janitor,  either  on  the  third  floor 
or  on  the  roof,  in  the  rear,  while  there  will  be  also  the  usual 
boiler-room,  storage-rooms,  work-room,  toilet-rooms  and  staff- 
room.  The  distribution  of  sites  over  the  different  boroughs  has 
gone  on  somewhat  slowly,  but  with  care.  On  the  whole  the 
plan   is  materializing  as  quickly  as  is  compatible  with  careful 

48 


GOOD    READING 

planning  and  good  work.  The  summer  of  1906  finds  eighteen 
Carnegie  buildings  completed  and  occupied,  about  ten  more  in 
various  stages  of  construction  and  some  thirty  sites  selected.  This 
is  in  the  territory  of  the  New  York  Public  Library  alone,  not  taking 
account  of  the  work  in  the  boroughs  of  Brooklyn  and  Queens. 

That  anyone  should  find  fault  with  a  programme  that  will 
give  to  New  York  the  most  extensive  system  of  popular  libra- 
ries in  the  world,  housed  in  the  finest  collection  of  branch  build- 
ings, seems  incredible  ;  and  it  is  only  charitable  to  conclude  that 
the  occasional  grumbler  that  has  come  to  the  surface  here  and 
there  expresses  the  feelings  of  no  more  than  a  very  small  mi- 
nority.1 That  Mr.  Carnegie's  money  might  have  done  great 
good  if  it  had  been  given  for  public  baths  or  for  museums,  or 
parks,  or  model  tenements,  goes  without  saying.  The  field  is 
open  to  other  donors,  and  doubtless  they  will  appear  in  due  time. 
But  this  is  library  decade,  and  those  who  have  been  working  for 
years  along  this  line  in  what  has  seemed  to  them  the  unpromis- 
ing field  of  New  York  City  are  not  sorry  that  the  lightning  has 
struck  in  this  particular  place.  To  such  the  combination  of  cir- 
cumstances, together  with  the  display  of  good-will,  public  spirit, 
generosity,  and  executive  ability  that  has  brought  about  the  pres- 
ent situation,  must  always  seem  little  less  than  providential. 

1  In  answer  to  the  criticism  that  the  furnishing  of  building  sites  and  the  annual 
maintenance  requirement  will  eventually  cost  the  city  many  times  the  amount  of 
Mr.  Carnegie's  gift,  and  that  future  generations  of  taxpayers  will  have  to  carry 
"  the  permanent  burden  of  perpetuating  Mr.  Carnegie's  name,"  the  editor  of  Gunton's 
Magazine  wrote  as  follows  in  the  issue  for  June,  1901  :  "  If  Mr.  Carnegie's  plan 
.  .  .  has  the  effect  of  stimulating  a  large  number  of  towns  and  cities  (especially 
New  York)  to  appropriate  generous  amounts  for  these  purposes,  then  so  much  the 
better  for  the  Carnegie  method.  New  York  City  ought  to  spend  much  more  than 
it  does  for  these  purposes,  and  more  all  the  time,  for  educational  and  civilizing  in 
stitutions  and  influences,  and  experience  continually  shows  how  hard  it  is  to  make- 
headway  in  behalf  of  such  expenditures  against  the  everlasting  cry  of  economy  and 
low  tax  rates.  Nearly  every  appropriation  for  new  or  enlarged  educational  or 
socially  civilizing  institutions  has  to  be  fairly  wrung  out  of  the  city  treasury  by  a 
constant  process  of  public  demand,  argument,  scolding,  and  agitation,  but  an  offer 
like  Mr.  Carnegie's  at  once  starts  so  strong  a  current  in  favor  of  assuming  the  ob- 
ligations coupled  with  it  that,  in  consequence, a  great  stride  is  taken  almost  without 
effort.  Every  such  stimulation  to  public  generosity,  in  behalf  of  wholesome  and 
progressive  institutions,  is  worth  a  great  deal  more  than  the  liberal  amount  of  cash 
involved.  It  creates  a  psychological  atmosphere  favorable  to  expansion  in  all 
these  directions  more  readily  and  easily  than  months  or  sometimes  years  of  agita- 
tion could  develop ;  and  the  good  effects  of  this  reaching  out  into  new  fields  grow 
by  their  own  momentum." 

4  49 


CHAPTER   VI 
REACHING  THE   PEOPLE 

My  heart  is  in  the  library  business,  and  I  know,  from  the  letters  I  receive  from 
mothers  and  fathers  that  there  is  no  institution  you  can  plant  in  your  midst  capable  of 
producing  greater  good  than  a  library. — Andrew  Carnegie,  at  the  opening  of  the 
Sefton  Park  Library,  Liverpool. 

The  Opening  of  the  First  of  the  Carnegie  Branches  in  New  York 
City  —  Opening  of  the  Hudson  Park  Branch — Work  on  the  East 
Side  —  The  Open-Air  Reading  Room  —  The  Yorkville  and  Riving- 
ton    Street    Branches  —  Hudson    Park,    Mott    Haven,   and    other 

Branches. 

THE  first  of  the  Carnegie  branches  to  be  opened  in 
Greater  New  York  was  the  one  on  East  Seventy-ninth 
Street,  near  Third  Avenue.  This  was  not  a  new  one,  as 
it  had  been  doing  work  in  that  neighborhood  since  1897,  as  the 
Yorkville  branch,  first,  of  the  New  York  Free  Circulating  Library, 
and  since  March,  1901,  of  the  New  York  Public  Library.  Some 
idea  of  the  interest  taken  by  the  people  of  the  locality  since  the 
opening  of  the  new  building  may  be  gained  from  the  following 
account  of  the  first  day's  work  in  the  new  quarters,  published  in 
the  New  York  Evening  Post  of  December  27,  1902  : 

"  The  library  had  been  closed  for  five  days  to  facilitate  the  work 
of  moving  the  books  from  the  old  quarters,  and  the  public  in 
the  vicinity  had  been  on  the  tiptoe  of  curiosity  to  see  the  interior 
of  the  new  library.  The  result  was  that  on  the  first  day  of 
opening,  Monday,  December  15,  nearly  twice  as  many  books 
were  given  out  as  ever  before  in  the  history  of  the  branch, 
namely,  1,891,  and  at  the  same  time  more  than  one  hundred  ap- 
plications for  the  use  of  the  library  were  received.  In  order  to 
do  this  amount  of  work  a  very  large  increase  in  the  force  of 
assistants  became  necessary.  Not  only  has  the  permanent  force 
of  the  branch  been  increased,  but  on  that  day  assistants  were 
borrowed  from  other  branches,  so  that  altogether  on  the  15th 
seventeen  assistants  were  on  duty  in  the  library.  The  stream  of 
persons  bearing  books  to  be  exchanged  or  wishing  to  make  ap- 
plications, was  so  large  that  it  extended  into  the  street,  and  it 

SO 


OPEN-AIR    READING    ROOM    AND    ROOF-GARDEN, 
RIVINGTON    STR]  El     BRAN(  II. 

NEW    YORK    CITY 


HUDSON    PARK.    BRANCH,    NEW    YORK.   PUBLIC    LIBRARY 


VIEW    FROM   THE   REAR   OF  THE    HUDSON    PARK    BRANCH 

harilia  andtht  (  omm       .    lai    h  17,  1906 


REACHING   THE    PEOPLE 

became  necessary  to  station  a  man  at  the  door  to  regulate  the 
number  of  those  entering  the  building.  A  double  line  of  chil- 
dren extended  from  the  desk  in  the  children's  room  on  the 
second  floor  down  the  main  stairway  to  the  front  door  and  out 
into  the  street.  Satisfaction  and  even  enthusiasm  over  the 
building  seemed  to  be  universal. 

"  Popular  curiosity  seemed  to  be  particularly  active  regarding 
the  donor,  and  on  the  day  of  the  opening  people  waited  in  the 
street  to  see  Mr.  Carnegie,  and  were  disappointed  when  he  did 
not  appear.  There  were  false  alarms,  and  any  well-dressed, 
dignified  man  who  appeared  on  the  street  was  very  apt  to  be 
hailed  by  a  group  of  excited  youngsters  as  '  Mr.  Carnegie.' 
Two  of  them  volunteered  to  sweep  from  the  front  steps  the 
snow  that  had  been  falling  during  the  greater  part  of  the  day, 
and  greeted  one  of  the  library  officials  on  his  entry  with  the 
words,  '  Hi !  what  do  we  get  for  this  off  Carnegie?' 

"  A  very  large  share  in  the  increased  work  of  the  library  may 
therefore  be  ascribed  to  the  advertisement  that  it  has  had  re- 
cently, and  this  shows  that  if  an  institution  of  this  kind  wishes  to 
reach  as  many  persons  in  the  community  as  possible,  it  must 
not  hesitate  to  call  public  attention  at  all  times  to  its  existence. 
It  is  not  to  be  assumed,  however,  that  the  library  authorities 
desire  to  continue  such  a  large  circulation  as  that  of  the  first 
day.  No  one  branch  library  should  be  overtaxed  in  this  man- 
ner, and  it  is  for  this  reason  that  New  York  is  to  be  congratu- 
lated on  the  very  large  number  of  such  libraries  that  are  to  be 
scattered  over  its  territory.  The  work  will  be  divided  among 
these,  and  no  one  will  have  so  much  of  it  that  it  is  prevented 
from  giving  attention  to  the  quality  of  the  work  done.  The  ser- 
vice rendered  to  education  by  our  public  libraries  in  advising 
and  directing  readers  regarding  the  books  that  they  read  cannot 
be  overestimated,  especially  in  the  case  of  the  children.  Any 
visitor  who  desires  to  see  what  work  the  library  is  doing  among 
young  people  should  visit  it  in  the  afternoon  about  half-past 
three  o'clock,  when  the  schools  have  closed  for  the  day  and  the 
little  ones  are  at  liberty  to  devote  their  time  to  literature." 

That  this  enthusiasm  for  the  branch  library  of  the  neighbor- 
hood was  not  unique,  was  not  due  to  the  fact  that  it  was  the  first 
of  the  Carnegie  branches,  and  was  not  confined  to  any  one  quar- 
ter, is  amply  proven  by  the  following  description  of  the  opening 
of  the  Hudson  Park  Branch,  four  years  later.  It  was  written  by 
the  librarian  in  charge,  Miss  Mary  Denson  Pretlow,  and  ap- 
peared in  Charities  and  the  Commons,  March  17,  1906: 

51 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

"  The  formal  opening  of  a  library  is  not  a  very  difficult  matter 
if  that  library  happens  to  be  over  in  old  Greenwich  village,  where 
you  meet  more  cordial  good-will  than  you  supposed  a  busy  city 
had  left  in  it.  The  churches,  the  schools,  the  settlements,  the 
clubs,  social  and  political,  the  shop-keepers,  the  park-keepers, 
the  policemen  were  all  glad  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  the  new 
library.  The  city  fathers,  too,  had  been  kind  in  placing  our 
building  where  it  might  have  twelve  of  its  big  windows  look  out 
over  gay  little  Hudson  Park.  And  we?  Well,  we  could  only 
feel  very  grateful  and  make  firmer  the  resolution  that  the  library 
should  stand  for  all  the  good  these  neighbors  thought  it  did. 

"  The  twenty-fourth  of  January  of  this  year,  should  you  chance 
to  remember,  was  a  bright,  warm,  sunshiny  day ;  and  as  that 
was  the  day  set  for  the  opening  exercises  of  the  library,  it  was 
really  the  birthday  of  the  Hudson  Park  Branch  of  the  New  York 
Public  Library.  At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  assembly- 
room  was  filled  to  overflowing.  Mr.  Devlin  of  the  King  Street 
school  allowed  some  of  his  boys  to  sing  for  us.  There  were 
speeches  by  several  people  prominent  in  local  affairs,  and  the 
library  was  formally  handed  over  to  the  city  by  George  L.  Rives, 
representing  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  library,  who  in  turn 
represent  Mr.  Carnegie.  The  president  of  the  board  of  alder- 
men, acting  for  the  city,  returned  the  library  to  the  board  of 
trustees  for  administration.  There  was  a  solo,  and  then  the 
library  was  thrown  open  for  inspection.  Altogether  there  was 
more  local  interest  shown  here  than  in  the  opening  of  any  other 
of  the  libraries,  and  this  is  the  sixteenth  building  erected  from 
the  Carnegie  fund.  It  speaks  well  for  this  the  old  '  American 
Ward.' 

"  The  next  morning  at  nine  our  first  day  for  the  circulation  of 
books  began.  With  a  perfectly  equipped  library,  ten  thousand 
carefully  selected  books,  magazines,  and  newspapers  in  French, 
German,  Italian,  and  English,  and  a  well-trained  staff,  we  had  no 
fear  for  the  result  of  our  first  day's  work.  A  number  of  grown 
people  came  in  during  the  morning,  — some  to  get  books,  some 
to  look  at  the  library. 

"  At  three  o'clock,  or  perhaps  five  minutes  after,  the  storm 
broke.  There  was  what  might  be  called  a  '  preliminary  warn- 
ing.' It  was  the  sound  of  many  feet  pressing  swiftly  on  from 
every  direction  and  growing  each  instant  nearer;  then  the  big 
double  doors  swung  open  and  an  army  of  children  marched  in. 
It  was  so  sudden,  so  unexpected,  that  we  were  unprepared.  Of 
course  we  knew  that  the  children  would  come  in  dozens,  by  the 
scores,  but  we  did  not  realize  that  they  would  all  come  at  once. 

5-' 


PHI  iTOS.    BV   N.    I 


boston,  for  library  bi  ri  .■ 


THIRD   FLOOR,  CHATHAM    SQUARE    BRANCH,    NEW   YORK 
PUBLIC   LIBRARY 


SECOND    FLOOR,   CHATHAM    SQUARE    BRANCH,   NEW    YORK 
l'l  I'.I.IC    LIBRARY 


SECOND  FLOUR 
M'Kl.M     Ml  AI.  .V   Will  I  l      ARCHITECTS,  N.  Y 


THIRD   FLOOR 


CHATHAM    SQUARE   BRANCH 


I  Ilu  .-Mi . _4 

i    i 


ADVL.7S      'SOOn 


|EE 


^ 


iiNK    HUNDRED   AND  TWENTY-FI1  Ml    STRE1   I    BRANCH 


NEW    YORK    CITY    BRANCHES 


Jarb.  Cook  &  V-  illard,  Architects 
MOTT    HAVEN    BRANCH.   56g   EAST  ONE    HUNDRED    AND    FORTIETH    STREET, 
CORNER  OF    ALEXANDER    AVENUE 


u;  k  i  k  i    .V    II 


[866   WASHINGTON     W  I  Nl   I 


Skcond  Floor 


tiiiki)  floor 


M  I    "        K 

MOI  I    HAVEN    BRAN!  H,    NEW   YORK 


REACHING   THE    PEOPLE 

So  they  marched  on  till  those  in  front  reached  the  desk  upstairs 
in  the  children's  department;  beyond  this  they  could  not  go 
until  they  secured  cards  of  admission.  In  a  few  moments  every 
inch  of  open  space  was  filled,  upstairs,  straight  on  down  the 
stairs,  and  in  the  adult  department  on  the  first  floor.  Do  you, 
gentle  reader,  know  the  New  York  boy  and  girl  of  from  ten  to 
sixteen?  If  you  do,  you  do  not  need  to  be  told  that  the  situa- 
tion was  a  difficult  one  j  for  our  children,  be  they,  as  in  this  case 
they  were,  largely  of  foreign  parentage,  are  strongly  imbued 
with  the  American  spirit  of  going  forward.  Each  child  was  bent 
upon  having  a  book.  No  matter  to  them  that  they  had  not 
registered,  that  their  parents  objected  to  their  taking  books, 
that  their  references  had  refused  to  sign  for  them  —  such  trifling 
details  did  not  even  interest  them ;  a  book  they  must  and  would 
have ! 

"  It  goes  without  saying,  I  hope,  that  one  of  the  things  we 
always  try  to  do  is  to  welcome  the  children.  We  want  not  only 
to  give  them  helpful  reading,  a  pleasant  place  where  they  may 
sit  and  read,  but  our  aim  is  that  the  library  may  be  a  bright 
spot  in  their  lives,  may  hold  a  loving  place  in  their  hearts  — 
may  stand  in  their  minds  for  courtesy,  kindness,  and  sympathy. 
But  can  you  welcome  a  child  when  five  hundred  are  waiting  and 
each  one  persistently  refuses  to  stir  an  inch  till  you  give  him  a 
book? 

"  Can  you  take  an  entirely  sympathetic  attitude  toward  a  little 
girl  who  has  brought  with  her  the  only  toy  she  owns,  a  box  of 
beads,  and  is  yelling  at  the  top  of  her  lungs  because  it  is  upset 
and  the  rest  of  the  children  are  grabbing  the  beads  or  stamping 
on  them,  according  to  which  they  consider  the  most  fun? 

"  And  then  the  long  conversations  you  are  forced  to  hold  with 
each  applicant. 

"  '  What  is  your  name? ' 

"  '  Anthony.' 

"  'Anthony  what?' 

"  «  Ma'am  ? ' 

"  '  What  is  your  last  name? ' 

"  '  Teacher,  he's  punchin'  me.' 

"  '  What  is  your  last  name  ? ' 

'"Jimmy  O'Grady.' 

"  '  You  said  your  name  was  "  Anthony."  ' 

"  '  Yes,  'urn,  it  is  ;  it 's  James  Anthony  O'Grady.' 

"  '  Well,  your  card  is  not  here ;  come  back  to-morrow.'  Then, 
'  Why  don't  you  go  on  and  let  the  boy  behind  you  come  to 
the  desk?' 

53 


CARNEGIE   LIBRARIES 

"  '  Please,  teacher,  look  for  Tony  —  I  write  it  Tony  'cause 
that 's  what  they  call  me.' 

"  And  sure  enough,  there  it  is.  Of  course  this  conversation 
varies,  but  it  is  inevitable  and  it  is  wearing. 

"  The  children  who  were  not  admitted  to  the  shelves  were  sent 
out,  and  instead  of  going  home  joined  the  crowd  in  the  rear. 
After  the  first  ten  minutes  of  the  '  rush '  we  kept  the  children  in 
a  sort  of  doubled-up  line,  and  only  admitted  one  when  we  sent 
one  out. 

"  Late  in  the  afternoon  the  policeman  at  the  door  sent  word  to 
know  what  he  should  do ;  he  could  not  keep  the  children  out 
any  longer.  I  asked  why  not,  and  he  said :  '  My  arms  have 
given  out,  they're  numb.' 

"  '  Your  arms,'  I  said  ;   '  how  strange  ! ' 

"  '  Yes,  ma'am,  and  your  arms  would  give  out  too  if  you  'd  had 
fifteen  children  hanging  on  each  of  them  for  two  hours.  No 
change  except  every  minute  it 's  different  children.  It  would  be 
easier  if  it  was  the  same  ones;  they  claw  so  when  they  change.' 

"  One  little  incident  paid  for  much  work  and  worry.  A  little 
girl  of  about  ten,  slim  and  dark-eyed,  looked  so  distressed  that 
her  reference  had  not  signed  for  her  that  we  allowed  her  to  go 
in  to  see  the  books.  She  stood  for  a  moment  in  the  dazzling 
sunlight  from  one  of  the  big  windows ;  then  stretched  out  her 
arms  as  a  bird  might  its  wings,  and  on  the  tips  of  her  toes 
flew  from  window  to  window,  pausing  at  each  in  the  sunshine, 
then  stopped  in  front  of  the  fairy  tales  with  a  smile  of  utter 
childish  content." 

As  another  witness  to  the  work  being  done  by  these  branch 
libraries  on  the  East  Side  in  reaching  the  people,  an  account  by 
Isaac  N.  Marcosson 1  of  the  condition  there  met  with  may  be 
pressed  into  service : 

"  In  the  crowded  foreign  districts  of  New  York  City  the  Car- 
negie Free  libraries  are  making  American  citizens  out  of  the  young 
boys  and  girls.  I  spent  an  afternoon  recently  at  the  free  library 
on  Tompkins  Square,  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Hungarian  section. 
It  stands  out  among  the  dark,  low  tenements,  giving  an  aesthetic 
distinction  to  the  whole  community.  But  it  gives  more  than  this. 
It  is  not  only  a  place  where  books  are  given  out  and  where  men, 
women,  and  children  may  come  to  read  where  it  is  bright  and 
light  and  clean.  It  has  entered  into  the  very  life  and  character 
of  the  whole  district.  Here  come  the  mothers  with  their  stories 
of  suffering  and  distress  to  find  comfort  and  sympathy  and  help 

1    World  s  Work,  April,  1905. 

54 


REACHING   THE    PEOPLE 

from  the  librarians;  here  assemble  the  young  men  who  work  all 
day  and  study  half  the  night,  educating  themselves  and  eager  to 
rise  out  of  the  sordid  conditions  in  which  they  live.  The  children 
come  from  dirty  homes  with  clean  hands.  Standing  in  line  to 
get  books,  and  respecting  the  rights  of  the  children  who  have 
come  before  them,  is  giving  them  a  moral  discipline.  The  little 
ones  carry  the  methods  of  the  school-room  to  the  library,  for 
they  raise  their  hands  and  say  'Teacher'  before  asking  for  a  book. 

"  Many  incidents  enliven  the  daily  round  of  these  East  Side 
libraries.  One  day  a  child  came  in.  '  Teacher,'  she  said,  holding 
up  her  hand,  '  I  want  Lamb's  Feet. ' 

"  '  Lamb's  Feet,'  said  the  librarian.  '  You  must  be  mistaken. 
There  is  no  such  book.' 

"  But  the  child  insisted  that  her  school  teacher  had  told  her  to 
get  it.     It  turned  out  that  she  wanted  Lamb's  Tales. 

"  Another  child  said  that  she  wanted  a  book  on  woman's  suffer- 
ings.    The  librarian  gave  her  a  medical  book. 

"  '  That  ain't  what  I  want,'  replied  the  child.  '  My  mother 
said  it  was  about  votes.'    She  wanted  a  book  on  woman's  suffrage. 

"  The  children  are  required  to  give  references  when  they  get  a 
card.  The  meaning  of  the  word  '  reference  '  is  a  stumbling  block 
to  many.  One  day  a  librarian  overheard  one  boy  explaining 
the  meaning  of  the  word  to  another,  as  follows : 

"  •  A  reference  is  the  fellow  that  sticks  up  for  you.' 

"  Tragedies,  too,  lurk  in  these  places.  A  short  time  ago  a 
thumb-marked  postal  card  reached  the  Tompkins  Square  Library. 
Written  in  pencil  in  a  child's  hand  was  this  inscription:  '  My 
sister  does  not  want  any  more  books.     She  is  dead.' 

"  What  is  happening  at  Tompkins  Square  Library  is  happening 
at  the  East  Broadway  Library  in  the  heart  of  the  Ghetto,  and  at 
a  half  dozen  other  Carnegie  Libraries  in  New  York  City.  Every- 
where they  are  entering  intimately  into  the  life  of  the  people, 
broadening  them  and  making  them  better  men  and  women  and 
children." 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  branches,  at  least  to  the  student 
of  social  conditions,  are  on  the  East  Side.  Here  one  can  see  the 
process  of  Americanization  going  on  day  by  day.  Take  a  walk 
through  the  length  and  breadth  of  this  section  and  see  the  swarms 
of  children  growing  up  in  the  quarter,  attending  its  schools 
playing  in  its  streets  and  now  being  taught  to  read  in  these  branch 
libraries  which  are  at  their  very  doors.  One  who  is  not  ac- 
quainted with  the  conditions  in  New  York  might,  on  looking 
at  the  directory  of  these  branches,  think  that  some  of  these  were 

55 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

rather  close  to  one  another.  A  visit  to  the  neighborhood  will 
dispel  any  such  thought.  What  would  be  close  for  any  less 
populous  city  is  sparsely  scattered  for  New  York  with  its  tene- 
ments soaring  to  the  sky.  A  mile  of  New  York  "  East  Side  " 
streets  houses  from  five  to  ten  times  as  many  people  as  would  be 
found  within  the  same  distance  in  an  average  American  city. 
The  congestion  of  this  quarter  led  the  authorities  to  introduce 
an  innovation  in  the  Rivington  Street  branch  which  has  met 
with  exceptional  success ;  the  open-air  reading  room  on  the  roof 
of  this  library  has  proved  a  blessing  to  many  a  tired  worker  and 
an  invitation  to  numerous  children  to  patronize  the  institution. 
In  the  first  summer  month  during  which  it  was  opened,  two 
thousand  men  and  about  the  same  number  of  boys  and  girls 
climbed  to  this  roof  garden  with  their  books  in  preference  to 
taking  them  to  their  crowded  tenements.  The  total  attendance 
for  the  first  season  was  7,483  readers,  and  this  number  was  quad- 
rupled within  the  next  four  years.  As  a  result  roof  gardens 
were  provided  for  the  St.  Gabriel's  Park,  Hamilton  Fish  Park, 
and  Seward  Park  and  Columbus  branches.  About  one  half  of 
the  roof  is  usually  used  for  these  roof-garden  reading  rooms, 
which  are  protected  by  a  balustrade,  covered  with  flower  boxes. 
There  are  overhead  awnings  and  suspended  drop  lights  for  the 
use  of  readers  in  the  evening.  Tables  and  chairs  are  given  a  coat 
of  water-proof  paint.  There  is  the  usual  supply  of  magazines 
and  daily  papers.  Readers  are  expected  to  have  their  books 
charged  at  the  desk  downstairs  before  bringing  them  up  to  the 
roof  garden.  While  at  the  Rivington  Street  branch  the  propor- 
tion of  adult  to  juvenile  readers  is  almost  equal,  the  majority 
of  those  making  use  of  these  roof-gardens  at  the  Hamilton  Fish 
Park  and  St.  Gabriel's  Park  branches  are  children,  who  are 
allowed  to  go  up  to  the  roof  only  during  the  day.  On  busy  days 
a  children's  assistant  is  placed  in  charge,  and  picture  books  are 
distributed,  and  occasionally  story  hours  are  held  on  the 
roof.  Strict  discipline  is  maintained  just  as  in  the  regular  rooms 
of  the  library.  At  the  Rivington  Street  branch  serious  students 
have  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  offered  of  a  quiet  place 
for  reading  in  the  open  air. 

"  It  would  be  useless  for  me  to  say  that  the  intellectual  needs 
of  the  East  Side  increase  as  time  goes  on,"  said  the  librarian  of 

56 


REACHING   THE    PEOPLE 

an  East  Side  branch,  "  for  the  simple  reason  that  there  never 
has  been  a  time  when  the  people  there  were  not  absolutely 
hungry  for  knowledge.  If  there  was  a  library  on  every  block 
it  would  be  largely  attended.  Just  to  give  a  few  figures:  the 
reading  room  attendance  for  one  year  at  Rivington  Street  was 
50,710;  at  Chatham  Square,  25,822;  at  Bond  Street,  46,751, 
and  the  circulation  of  books  for  home  use  by  classes  at  the  three 
branches  was  respectively  77,163,  200,973,  and  1 13,963  volumes. 
What  is  read  at  these  places?  The  very  best  books  obtainable 
on  every  subject.  Generally  speaking,  there  is  less  fiction 
demanded  than  science,  biology,  travel,  everything  that  tends 
toward  accurate  information  in  regard  to  the  world's  work  — 
knowledge  rather  than  entertainment.  There  is  a  constant  de- 
mand for  works  on  socialism,  —  not  the  rose  water  and  pink  tea 
type,  concerning  which  hundreds  of  volumes  come  from  the 
press  every  month,  but  the  real  words  of  those  who  know." 

The  Yorkville  Branch,  the  first  to  be  erected  in  Greater  New 
York  from  Mr.  Carnegie's  gift  of  $5,200,000,  was  formally  opened 
December  13,  1912.  It  stands  on  the  south  side  of  East  79th 
Street,  between  Second  and  Third  Avenues,  and  has  on  its  five 
floors  14,680  square  feet. 

"  It  must  not  be  supposed,"  wrote  Dr.  A.  E.  Bostwick,  at 
that  time  in  charge  of  the  circulating  branches  of  the  New 
York  Public  Library,  "  that  the  new  building  is  regarded  by 
those  who  have  planned  it  as  ideal  for  its  purposes.  A  library 
in  a  crowded  street  must  make  the  best  of  adverse  conditions. 
To  make  use  of  the  type  that  is  coming  to  be  preferred  for  the 
small  library — the  type  somewhat  picturesquely  named  'the 
butterfly'  by  Mr.  Eastman,  in  allusion  to  its  central  body  flanked 
by  its  equal  wings  —  a  considerable  plot  of  ground  is  necessary, 
not  less  than  100  feet  front.  This  the  price  of  land  makes 
prohibitive  over  a  large  part  of  Manhattan  Island.  The  typical 
branch  building  in  the  crowded  parts  of  the  city  will  have  to 
stand  on  two  city  lots  —  say  from  40  to  50  feet  front  —  and  its 
departments,  instead  of  being  spread  out  as  much  as  possible 
on  one  floor,  must  be  piled  one  above  the  other.  In  other 
words,  we  must  not  look  to  the  butterfly  for  our  model,  but  to 
the  caterpillar  —  the  caterpillar  standing  erect  on  its  tail. 

"  Experience  in  branch  work  in  New  York  City  indicates  that 
the  necessary  departments  in  a  New  York  branch  are  the  gen- 
eral open-shelf  room  for  adults,  with  circulating-desk  and  some 
reading-tables;   the  children's  department;  and  the  newspaper 

57 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

and  periodical  reading  room.  The  best  place  for  each  of  these 
is  obviously  the  ground  floor.  Equally  obvious,  however,  is  the 
fact  that  in  a  building  such  as  we  have  indicated  only  one  of 
them  can  be  so  located,  and  that  the  other  two  must  struggle 
even  for  second  place.  There  are  arguments  in  favor  of  every 
possible  arrangement ;  it  is  not  even  likely  that  the  same  will  be 
adopted  in  all  of  the  future  Carnegie  buildings.  In  the  one 
under  consideration  the  adults  have  been  placed  on  the  ground 
floor,  the  children  on  the  second  floor,  and  the  readers  on  the 
third,  under  the  large  skylight.  In  the  basement  are  the  heat- 
ing apparatus  (direct-indirect  hot-water  system),  the  receiving 
and  packing  room  and  space  for  storage.  The  janitor's  apart- 
ment is  placed  in  a  half-story,  above  the  third,  situated  in  the 
rear  and  opening  out  on  the  roof.  It  is  invisible  from  the 
street.  The  small  collection  of  reference  books  is  placed  in 
the  rear  of  the  ground  floor,  separated  from  the  general  adult 
department  only  by  a  railing.  On  the  third  floor  the  staff  room 
has  been  placed  and  there  is  space  here  not  only  for  the  general 
reading  room  but  for  such  other  departments  as  future  experi- 
ence may  suggest.  The  light  here  is  chiefly  from  above  (the 
small  front  windows  serving  only  for  ventilation)  and  the  walls 
will  be  suitable  for  exhibitions  of  pictures,  etc. 

"  The  architectural  features  of  the  building  are  not  due  to  a 
single  hand.  The  general  or  typical  arrangement  of  the  front 
was  fixed  upon,  after  several  conferences,  by  a  commission  of 
New  York  architectural  firms  appointed  by  the  library  trustees. 
These  firms  decided  on  the  general  type  of  building,  and  to  this 
type  the  plans  of  the  Yorkville  branch  conform.  To  this  type, 
also,  future  plans  must  conform,  except  when  the  conditions  are 
rural  rather  than  urban.  This  does  not  mean  that  the  buildings 
will  all  look  alike,  for  plenty  of  room  for  individual  taste  has 
been  left.  It  means,  in  the  words  of  one  of  the  architects,  that 
the  Carnegie  buildings  '  will  all  tell  the  same  story  but  will  tell 
it  in  different  words.'  The  three  arches  on  the  ground  floor, 
for  instance,  which  are  one  feature  of  the  type,  may  be  treated 
in  a  variety  of  ways.  In  the  case  of  the  Yorkville  building  the 
entrance  has  been  placed  in  one  of  the  side  arches,  opposite 
the  stairway  —  an  arrangement  which,  although  a  departure 
from  symmetry,  is  not  only  more  convenient  but,  according  to 
some  authorities,  is  more  sound  from  an  architectural  stand- 
point, as  it  indicates  from  the  exterior  the  structural  arrange- 
ment of  the  inside. 

"  Summing  up  such  of  the  distinctive  features  of  the  building 
as  are  dependent  on  its  position  in  a  closely  built-up  block  in  a 

58 


REACHING   THE    PEOPLE 

crowded  portion  of  the  city,  it  may  be  described  as  a  branch 
library  in  which  the  different  departments  are  located  one  above 
the  other,  on  different  floors,  each  floor  being  kept,  as  far  as 
possible,  free  from  partitions,  and  in  which  stress  is  laid  on  the 
circulation  of  books  on  the  open-shelf  system,  the  principal  use 
of  the  building  itself  for  reading  purposes  being  in  connection 
with  children's  work  and  with  the  general  use  of  current  period- 
icals and  newspapers." 

The  new  building  for  the  Rivington  Street  branch,  at  5  1  Riv- 
ington  Street,  was  dedicated  June  10,  1905.  It  is  a  four-story 
and  basement  structure  of  brick,  trimmed  with  stone,  and  meas- 
ures 40  X  80  feet.  The  basement  contains  the  usual  boiler  room, 
packing  room,  toilets,  and  storage  space.  The  main  floor  con- 
tains the  circulating  room  for  adults,  while  the  second  floor  is 
devoted  to  the  children.  The  general  reading  room  is  on  the 
third  floor,  and  the  janitor's  apartments  on  the  fourth.  On  the 
roof  is  the  most  interesting  feature  of  the  building,  an  open-air 
reading  room.  This  is  about  40  feet  square  and  is  protected 
by  a  high  iron  railing.  It  can  be  covered  with  an  awning  by 
day  and  is  lighted  by  electricity  at  night.  While  there  is  no 
stock  of  reading  matter  kept  in  this  open-air  reading  room,  any 
one  desiring  to  do  so  can  take  books  or  periodicals  from  the 
general  reading  room  on  the  third  floor,  from  which  ascends  a 
broad  flight  of  stairs. 

The  Hudson  Park  branch,  on  Leroy  Street  below  the  Chris- 
topher Street  ferry,  has  three  stories  and  a  basement  It  stands 
on  an  irregularly  shaped  lot,  50  feet  in  front  and  100  feet  in 
depth.  From  the  side  there  is  a  fine  view  of  the  adjoining 
park.  The  front  is  of  plain  brick,  trimmed  with  Indiana  lime- 
stone. In  the  basement  there  is  a  large  assembly  room  in  ad- 
dition to  boiler  room,  storage  space,  etc.  The  circulating  room 
for  adults  is  on  the  main  floor,  entered  at  the  left  through  an 
ornamented  vestibule.  The  general  reading  room,  on  the  same 
floor,  is  entered  through  the  rear  door  opening  on  the  park. 
The  children's  rooms  are  on  the  second  floor.  On  the  third 
floor  are  the  janitor's  apartments.  There  is  a  small  elevator, 
operated  by  hand,  for  the  janitor's  supplies,  and  an  electric  lift 
for  books.     The  cost  was  about  $75,000  exclusive  of  the  site. 

The  Carnegie  branch  building  at  328  East  67th  Street  was 
opened  January  20,  1905.     It  has  three  stories  and  a  basement 

59 


CARNEGIE   LIBRARIES 

and  measures  50  X  80  feet  The  front  is  of  Indiana  limestone, 
plain  and  massive,  and  is  characterized  by  three  large  arched 
openings  on  the  main  floor.  In  the  basement  are  work  rooms, 
storage  space,  and  wardrobe  lockers  for  the  staff.  The  entrance 
to  the  main  floor  is  through  an  ornamental  vestibule,  with  a 
domed  roof  of  glass.  On  this  ground  floor  are  the  circulation 
and  reference  rooms  for  adults,  and  a  small  office.  The  chil- 
dren's rooms  are  on  the  second  floor,  while  the  third  floor  is 
occupied  chiefly  with  the  general  periodicals  and  newspaper 
reading  room,  and  has  glass  cases  for  the  exhibition  »f  prints  or 
books.  On  this  floor  there  is  also  a  staff  room  with  facilities  for 
preparing  lunch.  Above  this,  in  a  partial  story,  are  the  janitor's 
apartments.  The  building  is  heated  throughout  with  hot  water 
on  a  combination  of  the  direct  and  indirect  systems.  There  is 
a  small  elevator,  operated  by  hand,  for  the  janitor's  supplies, 
and  another  operated  by  electricity  for  books.  The  trim  of  the 
entire  building  is  in  light  oak  and  the  walls  are  covered  with 
canvas  which  is  painted  in  a  creamy  tint  with  a  dark-green  olive 
dado.     The  building  cost  about  $75,000  exclusive  of  the  site. 

The  branch  of  103  West  135th  Street  is  a  departure  architec- 
turally from  most  of  the  Carnegie  buildings,  inasmuch  as  it  has 
an  overhanging  tile  roof  and  a  large  arched  central  window  in 
front  running  from  the  second  to  the  third  story.  Moreover 
the  assembly  room  in  the  basement  has  a  direct  entrance  from 
the  side  of  the  building.  It  was  provided  in  the  deed  of  the 
land  on  which  the  building  stands  that  a  strip  10  feet  wide 
should  be  left  free  on  the  west  side  and  this  strip  is  utilized  for 
the  assembly  room  entrance.  There  being  a  similar  strip  on  the 
east  side  and  a  court  in  the  rear,  this  building  is  particularly  for- 
tunate in  having  light  and  air  on  all  four  sides.  The  first  floor 
accommodates  the  adult  circulating  and  reference  department, 
and  the  second  the  children's  room,  and  the  third  floor  the  pe- 
riodical room  and  janitor's  apartments. 

The  Mott  Haven  branch  at  321  East  140th  Street,  Bronx  bor- 
ough, was  opened  March  31,  1905,  with  about  9,000  volumes  as 
a  nucleus.  The  building  has  three  stories  and  a  basement,  with 
a  frontage  of  50  feet  on  Alexander  Avenue,  and  80  feet  on  140th 
Street,  the  main  entrance  being  on  the  latter.  The  outer  walls 
are  of  brick,  heavily  trimmed  with  Indiana  limestone,  and  are 
somewhat  more  elaborate  than  the  other  Carnegie  branches.   In 

60 


i       ["OTTENVILLE,  STATEN  ISLAND 

3      KlNGSBR '      N  I  W    VuKK 

3    port  Richmond,  statkn  island 

NEW   YORK    SUBURBAN    BRAN!  HES 


\-     I  I   \  S  II  N 

Ml   KIM.    Ml    VD  &    WHITH,    Ak.   HITECTS 

Carrere  .v  Hastings,  architects 


Main  1  i  i  » >R 


li  isi 

PORT    RICHMOND   BRANCH 


avalkek  it  Morris,  Architects,  N.  y.  Photos,  by  Frank  Pearsall 

WILLIAMSBURGH    BRANCH,    BROOKLYN    PUBLIC   LIBRARY 


AUDITORIUM,    WILLIAMSBURGH    BRANCH 


1 1 


REACHING   THE    PEOPLE 

common  with  them  it  has  large  arched  windows  on  the  main 
floor.  As  can  be  seen  from  the  accompanying  floor  plan  the 
basement  is  occupied  by  a  boiler  room,  packing  and  work 
rooms,  toilets,  and  storage  space.  The  circulating  rooms  for 
both  adults  and  children  are  on  the  main  floor,  while  the  gen- 
eral reading  room  is  on  the  second  floor.  A  staff  room  for  the 
library  assistant  is  on  the  mezzanine  floor.  The  third  floor  con- 
tains an  assembly  room,  and  in  the  rear  an  apartment  for  the 
janitor's  family. 

The  busy  Tremont  branch,  which  is  located  at  Washington 
Avenue  and  176th  Street,  was  opened  July  22,  1905.  It  is  a 
rectangular,  two-story  structure  of  brick,  with  Indiana  limestone 
trimmings,  with  two  entrances.  The  circulating  department  for 
children  and  adults  is  on  the  main  floor.  The  second  floor 
contains  a  reading  room  and  an  assembly  room,  and  above 
these,  in  the  rear,  are  the  apartments  for  the  janitor. 

The  Carnegie  building  for  theTottenville  branch  was  formally 
opened  November  26,  1904.  It  is  an  unpretentious  but  most 
attractive  brick  structure,  standing  back  from  the  street  and  ap- 
proached by  a  brick-paved  walk  through  a  lawn  bordered  with 
a  privet  hedge.  Nearly  the  entire  first  floor  is  taken  up  by  one 
large  room,  open  to  the  rafters.  The  charging  desk,  directly 
opposite  the  entrance,  divides  the  room  into  two  parts,  one  for 
the  adults,  the  other  for  the  children.  In  the  rear  are  a  staff 
room  and  a  stairway  leading  to  the  basement,  containing  a  boiler 
room,  a  packing  and  a  work  room,  toilet  rooms,  and  storage 
space. 


61 


CHAPTER    VII 

THE   BROOKLYN   BRANCHES 

Report  of  the  Consulting  Architect  —  The  Determination  of  the 
Type  of  Branch  Buildings  to  be  erected  —  The  Question  of  Uni- 
formity in  Style  —  The  Number  of  Architects  and  the  Method  of 
their  Selection  —  Instructions  to  Architects. 

WHILE  in  Manhattan  the  branches  were  planned  to 
conform  to  one  general  type,  and,  because  of  the 
high  price  of  land,  have  been  forced  upward  rather 
than  allowed  to  expand  laterally;  in  Brooklyn,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  branch  library  buildings  have  been  designed  by  archi- 
tects working  independently  under  instructions  from  a  consult- 
ing architect,  and  with  such  plots  of  ground  at  their  disposal  as 
enabled  them  to  pay  more  regard  to  architectural  effect  and  to 
conform  more  closely  to  the  conventional  style  of  small  library 
buildings.  The  size  of  the  lots  on  which  the  branches  have 
been  erected  has  admitted  of  an  amount  of  light  and  air  that 
seems  suburban  rather  than  urban.  Owing  to  the  fact  that 
these  branches  have  stack  rooms  and  auditoriums,  and  have 
been  designed  with  so  much  care  and  thought  both  upon  the 
part  of  the  architects  and  the  representatives  of  the  library, 
they  merit  special  study  by  those  interested  in  public  libraries 
in  general,  and  in  some  matters  may  well  serve  as  models  for 
the  libraries  of  towns  of  twenty  or  thirty  thousand  people. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  American  Library  Association 
held  at  Narragansett  Pier,  July,  1906,  Prof.  A.  D.  F.  Hamlin, 
the  consulting  architect,  gave  the  following  account  of  the  joint 
work  of  the  architects  and  the  committee  for  erecting  Carneme 
Libraries  in  Brooklyn : 

"  The  problem  was  almost  unique.  The  erection  of  twenty 
branch  libraries  as  a  single  enterprise  in  one  city  is  not  an  every- 
year  affair.  The  librarian,  Mr.  Frank  P.  Hill,  was  the  initiator 
of  the  large-minded  way  in  which  his  committee,  a  choice  body 

62 


BROOKLYN    BRANCHES 

of  men  of  business,  who  were  also  men  of  culture  and  experi- 
enced in  public  affairs,  handled  their  task.     A  believer  in  expert 
advice,  Mr.  Hill  persuaded  them  to  seek  such  advice  at  the  very 
threshold  of  their  enterprise.     The  first  task  of  the  adviser  was 
to  frame  the  procedure  which  should  govern  the  whole  under- 
taking.    The  scheme  which  was  then  worked  out  has  been  fol- 
lowed ever  since  and  with  rather  remarkably  successful  results, 
for  which  the  credit  belongs,  not  to  the  scheme  alone,  but  quite 
as  much  to  the  loyal  spirit  in  which  all  participated  in  its  oper- 
ation.    It  was,  briefly,  as  follows :  To  select  five  architects,  giv- 
ing each  a  single  library  to  design,  but  organizing  the  five  into 
an  advisory  commission,  whose  joint  approval  should  be  required 
upon  each  separate  design  before  its  presentation  to  the  board 
or  fund  committee;  and  to  require,  further,  that  each  of  the  five 
designs  should  also  receive  the  adviser's  criticism  and  approval 
before  adoption.     The  architects  of  the  later  libraries  were  to  be 
selected  and  assigned  upon  the  basis  and  in  the  light  of  the  ex- 
perience gained  in  the  first  five  libraries,  and  were  to  be  likewise 
organized  into  an  advisory  commission  ;   the  presumption  being, 
however,   that  the   first  five   architects  would   be   reappointed 
unless  any  or  all  of  them  proved  incompetent  for  their  task. 
Thus   collaboration    was    substituted    for   competition    and    re- 
appointment held  out  as  an  incentive  to  efficient  service.     Each 
architect  was  directly  responsible  for  particular  buildings,  but 
was  obliged  to  undergo  the  criticism  and  privileged  to  benefit 
by  the  suggestions  of  all  the  rest.     A  remarkable  relation  of 
community  of  interest,  a  loyal  and  unselfish  devotion  to  the 
work  in  hand,  and  a  most  friendly  and  efficient  pulling  together 
of  all  concerned  have  marked  the  progress  of  this  interesting 
experiment.     The  librarian  has,  of  course,  been  the  pilot,  and 
he  has  also  been  the  link  between  the  five  architects  and  the 
Carnegie  committee ;   and  it  need  not  be  said  —  nor  is  it  flattery 
to  say  it  —  that  with  a  librarian  so  genial  and  yet  so  strong  in 
his  convictions  and  so  widely  experienced,  the  relations  between 
the  committee  and  the  commission  were  pretty  sure  to  be  of  the 
pleasantest  sort.     And  yet,  when  one  reflects  on  the  annoy- 
ances, the  frictions,  the  mishaps,  misunderstandings  and  per- 
plexities   likely    to    arise    in    building    one    building    with    one 
architect,  and  much  more  in  building  twenty  buildings  and  deal- 
ing with  five  architects,  it  is,  I  am  sure,  a  most  creditable  record 
that  not  one  serious  difference  has  arisen  between  the  two  bodies 
during   the    entire   five   years   since   the    adviser's    report   was 
adopted   in    1901.     It  is,   I    believe,   a   quite    unexampled    ex» 
perience. 

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CARNEGIE   LIBRARIES 

"  During  these  five  years  the  adviser  has  been  called  upon, 
first,  for  the  report  or  scheme  of  procedure  just  outlined ; 
secondly,  to  report  on  the  various  architects  whose  names  were 
presented  (or  who  presented  themselves)  for  appointment,  the 
reports  being  based  on  their  professional  history,  training,  and 
achievement ;  thirdly,  to  prepare  in  conjunction  with  the  com- 
mittee's counsel,  a  form  of  contract  between  the  committee  and 
the  architects ;  and  fourthly,  to  pass  on  all  designs  submitted. 
In  addition,  he  has  examined,  criticised,  and  approved  designs 
for  a  trust  company's  building  erected  by  agreement  with  the 
committee  on  property  adjoining  one  of  the  libraries ;  prepared 
an  elaborate  report  on  the  difficult  question  of  extras — the  first 
formal  treatise  on  the  subject  with  which  I  am  acquainted  ;  ad- 
vised on  a  number  of  the  sites  selected,  attending  public  hear- 
ings in  two  cases  and  speaking  at  one  of  these  before  the 
controller  of  the  city ;  visited  and  reported  upon  a  bad  case  of 
leakage  and  dampness  in  an  unfinished  library  —  the  subject  of 
a  bitter  controversy  between  the  architect  and  the  contractor ; 
and  prepared  a  detailed  report  on  branch  libraries  in  several 
cities  of  the  nearer  West.  This  last  report  was  one  of  the  fruits 
of  a  trip  made  in  February,  1906,  with  the  librarian  and  four  archi- 
tects of  the  commission.  We  cherish  the  hope,  and  indeed  the 
belief,  that  the  Brooklyn  branch  libraries,  as  the  result  of  this 
mutually  helpful  collaboration,  are  among  the  very  best  ex- 
amples to  be  found  anywhere  of  their  kind,  all  things  consid- 
ered. The  whole  experience  simply  illustrates  the  value  of  the 
sort  of  emulation  which  comes  with  collaboration  as  compared 
with  divisive  competition  or  sheer  independent  effort." 

To  show  how  the  committee  arrived  at  some  of  the  decisions 
in  regard  to  the  questions  involved  we  give  herewith  Professor 
Hamlin's  report,  issued  during  the  latter  part  of  1901  : 

To  the  Committee  for  Erecting  Carnegie  Libraries  in  Brooklyn  : 

Gentlemen  —  In  compliance  with  your  request,  I  have  care- 
fully studied  the  problem  upon  which  you  have  asked  my 
advice,  and  beg  to  submit  herewith  my  conclusions. 

The  question  of  the  wisest  possible  procedure  for  procuring 
the  designs  and  selecting  the  architects  of  the  proposed  Car- 
negie libraries  in  Brooklyn,  concerns  chiefly  three  classes  of 
interests:  those  of  the  libraries  themselves  ;  those  of  the  general 
public  who  use  them;  and  those  of  the  architectural  profession, 
upon  whose  members  you  must  depend  for  the  proper  satisfac- 
tion of  the  other  two  classes. 

64 


BROOKLYN    BRANCHES 

It  is  plain  that  whatever  architectural  solution  of  the  problem 
best  serves  the  needs  and  functions  of  the  library,  serves  also  to 
the  same  extent  the  people  who  use  it  and  the  community  of 
which  they  are  a  part.  But  in  the  matter  of  aesthetic  beauty  the 
general  public  have  also  an  interest  independent  of  the  library 
itself.  For  a  well-planned  and  convenient  edifice,  serving  well 
the  needs  of  the  library,  may  yet  be  a  cause  of  offense  to  the 
public  by  reason  of  its  unattractiveness  or  its  positive  ugliness 
of  architectural  treatment. 

It  is  therefore  essential,  first,  to  make  sure  of  such  planning 
and  arrangement  as  will  most  perfectly  subserve  the  uses  of  the 
proposed  libraries ;  and,  secondly,  to  secure  an  architectural 
treatment  of  the  buildings  that  shall  be  satisfactory  from  an 
architectural  point  of  view.  These  libraries  are  in  a  sense  pub- 
lic monuments,  destined  to  endure  for  long  periods  of  time,  and 
should  possess  those  permanent  qualities  of  artistic  dignity  and 
refined  elegance  which  always  win  the  approval  of  good  taste,  in 
spite  of  changes  of  style  or  fashion. 

So  far  as  the  architectural  profession  is  concerned,  results 
such  as  have  been  outlined  above  will  command  the  approval  of 
architects  generally.  Private  and  local  preferences  must  not 
interfere  with  the  higher  interests  of  the  enterprise,  and  any 
procedure  that  demonstrably  serves  these  interests  fulfills  also 
your  obligations  to  the  profession  at  large. 

The  above  considerations  are  fundamental  and  axiomatic. 
The  questions  really  requiring  discussion  relate  to  details. 
They  seem  to  me  to  be  as  follows : 

(I)  What  shall  be  the  type  or  types  of  the  proposed  libraries, 
and  how  shall  they  be  determined? 

(II)  To  what  extent  shall  the  architectural  treatment  of  the 
buildings  be  uniform,  and  to  what  extent  varied? 

(III)  How  many  architects  shall  be  employed? 

(IV)  How  shall  these  be  selected? 

(V)  Shall  the  procedure  adopted  be  limited  to  the  buildings 
first  undertaken,  or  extended  to  cover  the  whole  enterprise,  from 
inception  to  completion? 

(I)  What  shall  be  the  type  or  types  of  the  proposed  libraries,  and 
how  shall  it  or  they  be  determined  f 

In  answer  to  this  I  recommend  that  you  instruct  your  profes- 
sional adviser  to  prepare,  in  conference  with  the  Librarian  of 
the  Public  Library,  a  programme  of  instructions  to  architects, 
embodying  in  a  form  similar  to  that  of  a  competition  programme 
a  detailed  statement  of  the  requirements  of  the  proposed  libra- 

65 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

ries ;  this  programme,  when  approved  by  your  Committee,  to 
serve  for  the  guidance  of  the  architects  employed. 

I  recommend  further,  that  each  of  the  architects  selected  be 
instructed  to  prepare  a  design  for  one  building;  but  that  in  the 
preparation  of  these  designs  all  the  architects  collaborate  and 
confer  with  the  utmost  freedom,  both  formally  and  informally, 
alike  with  each  other  and  with  your  Librarian  and  your  profes- 
sional adviser,  as  representing  your  Committee ;  so  that  each 
design  shall  represent  its  author's  conception  of  the  building  as 
developed  in  the  light  of  the  fullest  discussion  and  information. 
The  conditions  will  thus  be  very  different  from  those  of  an  ordi- 
nary competition,  which  involve  a  large  measure  of  secrecy  in 
each  man's  work. 

The  sketch-designs  thus  prepared  will  furnish  the  Committee 
with  the  necessary  data  for  deciding  the  question  of  type.  It 
will  be,  in  all  likelihood,  clear  from  these  designs  whether  one 
among  them  is  so  superior  as  to  furnish  a  manifest  type  to  be 
followed  in  all  the  libraries ;  or  whether  on  the  other  hand  two 
or  more  designs  differing  materially  in  arrangement  and  yet 
equally  serviceable  and  convenient,  are  worthy  of  adoption  and 
can  be  employed  consistently  with  that  unity  of  general  charac- 
ter which  ought  to  mark  all  the  libraries  under  this  gift.  It 
may  well  prove  to  be  the  case  in  Brooklyn,  where  the  topog- 
raphy, shape  and  dimensions  of  lots  and  the  cost  of  land  are 
so  much  more  varied  than  they  are  in  Manhattan,  that  no  such 
unity  of  type  can  be  maintained  as  is  possible  in  Manhattan. 
There  is  likely  at  least  to  be  the  variation  required  by  the  dif- 
ference between  a  lot  between  party-walls  and  one  at  the  corner 
of  two  streets.  The  Committee  will  be  able,  after  examining 
the  plans  submitted  and  listening  to  the  recommendations  of 
their  architects,  to  decide  the  question  in  the  light  of  practical 
experience  in  the  solution  of  specific  problems,  instead  of  reach- 
ing in  advance  an  arbitrary  decision  on  abstract  principles. 

(II)  To  what  extent  should  the  architectural  treatment  of  all 
the  libraries  be  uniform,  and  to  what  extent  varied  ? 

The  size  and  requirements  of  the  libraries  being  presumably 
identical,  or  nearly  so,  and  these  requirements  being  set  forth  in 
precise  terms  in  the  instructions  to  your  architects,  there  must 
result  a  measure  of  similarity  in  the  arrangements  of  the  different 
buildings. 

How  far  this  will  be  modified  by  differences  of  site  and  by  the 
personal  equation  of  the  designers,  it  is  impossible  to  foretell. 
While  the  Committee  may  in  its  programme  of  instructions,  and  . 

66 


BROOKLYN    BRANCHES 

as  a  matter  of  general  policy,  insist  on  the  desirability  of  a  pre- 
vailing unity  of  style  and  character  in  the  architecture  of  all  the 
buildings,  which  should  mark  them  as  unmistakably  Carnegie 
libraries,  it  would  hardly  be  wise  to  go  farther  than  this.  The 
precise  measure  of  restraint  to  be  imposed  on  individual  varia- 
tions of  design  can  be  better  determined  in  the  light  of  actual 
experience,  as  the  result  of  the  experiment  in  cooperative  design 
above  outlined. 

(III)  How  many  architects  shall  be  employed? 

As  many,  in  my  opinion,  as  there  are  libraries  to  be  under- 
taken the  first  year,  provided  these  be  no  more  than  five.  A 
larger  number  would  form  an  unwieldy  body,  liable  to  work  at 
cross-purposes,  or  at  least  in  entire  independence  of  each  other, 
frustrating  the  mutual  cooperation  which  this  scheme  proposes 
as  an  essential  feature  of  the  preliminary  stages  of  the  enterprise. 
If  more  than  five  libraries  are  to  be  undertaken  at  the  outset, 
five  of  them  should  be  assigned  to  the  five  architects,  to  start 
with,  and  the  question  left  open  whether  the  balance  should 
be  given  to  them,  and  if  so,  to  which  ones  among  them,  or 
to  outside  architects.  Your  experience  with  them  and  their 
designs  will  make  this  question  comparatively  easy  of  solution. 
The  probability  is  wholly  in  favor  of  continuing  them  in  office, 
and  entrusting  to  them  the  remaining  libraries. 

(IV)  How  shall  the  architects  be  selected? 

It  is  possible  to  select  the  architects  by  a  competition.  This 
is,  however,  a  slow  and  expensive  procedure.  If  it  be  adopted, 
not  less  than  ten  to  fifteen  architects  should  be  invited  to  com- 
pete, and  be  paid  an  honorarium  of  $250  each;  only  sketch- 
designs  should  be  required,  and  the  authors  of  the  five  best 
designs  should  receive  appointment  as  your  architects.  The 
only  advantage  of  this  procedure  would  be  the  quieting  of  the 
clamor  of  a  certain  small  class  of  objectors,  who  insist  that 
the  opportunity  of  such  an  architectural  enterprise  should  be 
thrown  open  to  as  many  as  possible  of  the  architects  of 
Brooklyn. 

My  own  preference  is  distinctly  for  direct  selection  and  ap- 
pointment of  the  architects  who  are  to  serve  you.  In  this 
selection  both  actual  achievement,  in  the  case  of  the  older  men, 
and,  in  the  case  of  the  younger  practitioners,  evidence  of  decided 
talent  and  thorough  training,  are  legitimate  considerations.  It 
is  also  wise  to  include  in  the  selection  men  of  somewhat  diverse 

67 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

talents,  so  as  to  embrace  engineering  experience,  artistic  ability, 
and  mature  practical  judgment.  The  men  should  be  such  as  can 
work  together  in  harmony.  For  reasons  of  local  civic  policy,  so 
far  as  these  do  not  conflict  with  the  higher  interests  of  the  enter- 
prise, it  may  be  desirable  to  select  only  residents  of  the  Borough. 
Each  one  of  those  selected  may  represent  a  firm,  but  only  he 
should  appear  and  have  a  vote  in  consultations  on  matters  of 
common  interest.  Your  adviser  will  willingly  assist  in  making 
the  selection,  if  so  desired. 

(V)  Shall  this  procedure  be  limited  to  the  first  group  of 
librafies  or  extended  to  cover  all? 

The  underlying  thought  of  this  scheme  has  been  to  safeguard 
the  freedom  of  action  of  your  Committee  by  refusing  to  cross 
bridges  before  they  were  reached.  Hard  and  fast  rules  could 
easily  be  laid  down  to  control  the  whole  enterprise  from  start 
to  finish.  But  this  is  too  important  and  complex  an  undertak- 
ing to  be  confined  within  the  limits  of  arbitrary  preconceptions. 
This  scheme  provides  for  meeting  each  question  as  it  comes  up, 
and  not  before,  with  the  help  of  all  the  experience  previously 
acquired.  Whether  the  same  architects  who  designed  the  first 
group  of  libraries  should  also  design  all  the  others  or  not  de- 
pends largely  upon  their  success  with  the  first  group.  Whether 
the  type  adopted  for  this  group  shall  be  insisted  upon  for  the 
later  libraries  must  likewise  depend  in  great  measure  upon  how 
successful  the  first  group  turn  out  to  be. 

To  sum  up,  then,  your  adviser  recommends: 

i.  That  your  Committee  selects  and  appoints  a  small  number 
of  architects,  preferably  five  (each  being  permitted  to  represent 
a  firm),  to  constitute  an  Advisory  Commission  upon  all  the 
architectural  questions  involved  in  the  first  group  of  libraries  to 
be  erected,  and  upon  such  further  questions  as  you  may  choose 
to  refer  to  their  judgment. 

2.  That  you  issue  to  this  Advisory  Commission  a  definite 
programme,  to  be  prepared  by  your  professional  adviser  in  con- 
ference with  the  Librarian  of  the  Public  Library,  setting  forth 
the  conditions  and  requirements  of  the  proposed  buildings. 

3.  That  each  member  of  the  Advisory  Commission  be  in- 
structed to  prepare  a  design  for  one  library,  the  apportionment 
among  them  to  be  determined  by  the  members  themselves,  who 
shall  also,  meeting  as  a  Commission,  have  power  to  determine  all 
general  questions  affecting  their  work,  not  already  determined  in 
the  instructions  given  them.  These  designs  shall  represent  the 
result  of  full  collaboration  and  free  discussion  in  Commission,  and 

68 


V'.  b.  Tubby,  architect,  n.  y. 


Photos,  by  Frank  Pearsall 


DeKALB   BRANCH,    BROOKLYN 


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Lord  &•  Hewlett,  Architects,  n.  v.  Photo,  by  Frank  pearsall 

BEDFORD    BRANCH,  BROOKLYN    PUBLIC    LIBRARY 


R.  L.  DAUS,  ARCHITECT.  N.  Y.  PHOTO.  BY  FRANK  PEARSAU. 

FLATBUSH    BRANCH.   BROOKLYN    PUBLIC    LIBRARY 


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BEDFORD  BRANCH,  BROOKLYN 


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CHARGING   DESK,    FLATBUSH    BRANCH,    BROOKLYN 


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W.  B.  Tubby,  Architect,  n.  y 


Photos,  by  Frank  Pearsall 
CARROLL   PARK    BRANCH,   BROOKLYN- 


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BROOKLYN    BRANCHES 

the  members  shall  have  free  access  to  the  Librarian  and  to  your 
adviser  in  all  matters  in  which  these  can  be  of  assistance. 

4.  The  Advisory  Commission  shall  submit  these  designs  to 
your  Committee,  and  with  them  also  such  recommendations  as 
they  may  choose  to  make  with  regard  to  the  general  policy  and 
further  procedure  of  your  Committee  and  the  details  of  the 
architectural  treatment  of  the  Carnegie  Gift.  Your  Committee 
shall  then,  in  the  light  of  these  recommendations,  and  of  the 
designs  submitted,  prepare  their  final  instructions  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Advisory  Commission,  who  shall  then  proceed  to 
prepare  the  working  drawings  for  the  proposed  group  of  libra- 
ries, in  accordance  with  these  instructions.  In  these  delibera- 
tions the  services  of  your  professional  adviser  shall  be  always  at 
the  service  of  your  Committee. 

5.  The  policy  to  govern  the  next  and  all  subsequent  groups 
of  libraries  shall  be  formulated  and  announced  at  such  later 
time  as  your  Committee  may  appoint. 

6.  For  their  services  as  architects  to  the  Committee  for  erect- 
ing Carnegie  libraries  in  Brooklyn  all  architects  employed  shall 
be  paid  the  customary  commission  of  five  per  cent  for  full  ser- 
vices ;  and  for  partial  services  at  the  rates  established  by  the 
American  Institute  of  Architects,  except  that,  when  two  or  more 
libraries  are  erected  from  the  same  design,  the  commission  shall 
be  four  per  cent  for  the  second  and  three  per  cent  for  the  third 
and  subsequent  libraries;   and  for  partial  services  in  proportion. 

All  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

A.  D.  F.  HAMLIN 

Pursuant  to  the  recommendations  contained  in  the  above 
report,  which  was  duly  adopted  and  made  the  basis  of  agree- 
ment between  the  Committee  and  the  architects,  the  following 
"  Instructions  to  Architects"  were  issued  in  October,  1902  : 

Instructions  to  Architects 

In  accordance  with  the  action  of  the  Committee  for  Erecting 
Carnegie  Libraries  in  Brooklyn,  by  which  on  November  9,  1901, 
they  adopted  the  Report  of  their  Consulting  Architect,  outlining 
a  scheme  of  procedure  for  securing  plans  for  the  proposed  Car- 
negie Libraries  in  Brooklyn,  the  following  instructions  are  issued 
to  the  architects  constituting  the  Advisory  Commission,  for  their 
guidance  in  preparing  plans  for  the  first  five  libraries  to  be 
erected. 

The  Board  of  Estimate  of  New  York  City  has  purchased,  or 
will  probably  shortly  purchase,  for  these  libraries  the  following 

69 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

sites,  which  with  the  libraries  to  be  built  upon  them  will  be  for 
convenience  designated  by  the  names  or  numbers  appended 
herewith  to  each : 

No.     Name.  Location.  Dimensions  of  Lot. 

i.    (Bedford)  Franklin  Ave.,  opp.  Hancock  St.,  i2o'xi25' 

2.  (Carroll  Park)  N.  W.  cor.  Clinton  St.  and  Union  St.,  ioo'xqo' 

(Or  substitute.) 

3.  (Pacific)  S.  E.  cor.  Fourth  Ave.  and  Pacific  St.,  ioo'xo^' 

4.  (Greenpoint)  N.  E.  cor.  Leonard  St.  and  Norman  Ave.,         ioo'x95' 

5.  (Williamsburgh)  Rodney  St.,  Marcy  Ave.,  and  Division  Ave., 

2i5'x2i3'x246' 

The  details  of  size  and  grading  of  these  lots  may  be  learned 
from  plans  and  surveys  in  the  office  of  Frank  P.  Hill,  Librarian 
of  the  Brooklyn  Public  Library,  26  Brevoort  Place,  Brooklyn. 

In  general  it  may  be  said  that  the  buildings  to  be  erected  on 
the  first  four  sites  will  be  practically  similar  in  size,  capacity,  and 
cost,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  they  may  be  made  similar  or 
identical  in  plan,  since  each  will  stand  upon  a  lot  giving  ample 
space  for  light  and  air,  while  the  limit  of  cost  will  prevent  ex- 
treme variation.  But  it  is  proposed  to  make  the  Williamsburgh 
Library,  No.  5,  larger  than  any  of  the  others,  and  its  require- 
ments will  therefore  be  stated  separately.  Those  for  the  first 
four,  being  identical,  will  be  stated  as  if  for  one  building. 

The  limit  of  cost  being  set  at  $80,000  for  each  of  the  first 
four  libraries,  allowance  must  be  made  for  stacks,  heating,  light- 
ing and  ventilating  plant,  architects'  fees,  and  perhaps  also  for 
curbing  and  grading  of  lot  and  other  incidental  expenses.  The 
Commission  is  requested  to  consider  the  proper  allowance  to  be 
made  for  these  items,  in  order  to  reach  the  amount  available  for 
construction.  It  is  possible  that  the  city  may  assume  the  work 
of  curbing  and  grading. 

The  Committee,  meanwhile,  for  the  purpose  of  preparing 
these  instructions,  has  allowed  for  these  items  the  following 
amounts: 

Architects'  fees $3*500 

Stacks,  25,000  volumes 3»5°o 

Grading  and  curbing 3,000 

Heating  and  ventilation,  etc 7)5°° 

Incidentals 500 

$18,000 
Cost  of  building  proper 62,000 

$80,000 
70 


BROOKLYN    BRANCHES 

Prudence  suggests  the  desirability  of  providing  for  unforeseen 
contingencies  by  assigning  $60,000  in  round  numbers  as  the  sum 
available  for  each  building. 

If  30c.  be  allowed  as  the  present  lowest  cost  per  cubic  foot 
for  fireproof  buildings  of  this  kind,  the  volume  of  each  building 
should  not  exceed  200,000  cubic  feet;  and  if  the  average  height 
be  taken  at  46  feet,  the  area  covered  on  the  ground,  if  built 
throughout  to  this  height,  must  not  exceed  4,347  feet.  If  the 
cost  per  cubic  foot  be  taken  at  35c,  this  will  be  reduced  to 
3,725  feet.  For  greater  height  or  cost  this  will  have  to  be  still 
further  reduced.  < 

The  areas  called  for  on  the  two  main  floors  apparently  exceed 
slightly  the  larger  of  these  two  areas.  It  will  accordingly  be 
necessary  to  consider  whether  (a)  fireproof  construction  can  be 
had  at  less  than  30c.  per  cubic  foot;  or  (b)  whether  a  reason- 
ably fire-resisting  but  less  expensive  form  of  construction  can  be 
adopted ;  or  (c)  whether  the  allowance  for  construction  can  be 
increased  beyond  $62,000;  or  (//)  whether  any  readjustment  of 
areas  can  be  effected  without  sacrifice  of  efficiency;  or  (e) 
whether  any  of  the  requirements  can  be  omitted.  Free  and  full 
conference  between  the  Commission  and  the  Librarian  may  lead 
to  a  definite  conclusion  on  these  points. 

Character  of  buildings  — 

These  are  to  be  branch  libraries,  not  central  libraries.  The 
total  capacity  of  each  need  not  exceed  35,000  volumes,  of  which 
10,000  to  13,000  at  least  must  be  on  open  shelves  and  22,000 
to  25,000  may  be  in  the  stacks.  The  stacks  should  not  be  in  a 
wing  separated  by  walls  and  doors  from  the  delivery  desk,  as 
liberal  access  to  them  will  be  allowed  to  frequenters  of  the  libra- 
ries, and  they  must  therefore  be  in  full  view  from  the  desk. 

The  building  will  comprise  a  basement  and  two  stories. 
Whether  the  roof '  shall  be  flat  or  pitched,  and,  if  pitched,  shall 
be  made  to  contain  any  of  the  less  important  rooms  assigned 
elsewhere  in  the  following  schedule,  is  left  to  the  judgment  of 
the  Commission,  or,  if  it  prefers,  to  individual  discretion  and 
experiment. 

The  material  and  finish  of  the  exterior,  and  the  general  char- 
acter of  the  interior  finish,  are  also  left  to  the  decision  of  the 
Commission  in  the  same  way. 

The  basement  should  be  9  feet  high  in  the  clear,  except  where 
greater  height  for  boilers,  etc.,  is  secured  by  deeper  excavation. 
The  basement  must  be  made  absolutely  dry  by  ample  external 
sunken  areas,  and  its  walls  damp-proof. 

71 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

The  first  floor  should  be  3  or  3^  feet  above  the  ground,  and 
reached  from  the  front  by  not  more  than  6  or  7  steps  outside. 
The  height  of  this  first  story  should  be  14^  or  15  feet  in  the 
clear,  to  allow  of  two  stack-tiers. 

The  second  story  may  be  as  high  as  convenient,  but  not  less 
than  twelve  feet  in  the  clear. 

The  building  should  stand  not  less  than  10  feet  back  from  all 
street  building  lines,  and  not  less  than  15  feet  from  party  lines. 
The  rear  wall  should,  if  possible,  be  kept  20  feet  away  from  the 
rear  line  of  the  lot. 

Requirements 

Basement  — 

Front  and  rear  entrances. 

Halls  and  stairs. 

Work-room,  with  space  for  magazines,  newspapers,  and 

stock 500  sq.  ft. 

Janitor's  store-room 200-300  sq.  ft. 

Public  lavatories  for  men  and  for  women. 
Heating  and  ventilating  plant. 
Closets  and  five  lockers. 
Coal  storage. 

The  work-room  should  have  abundant  shelving,  of  which 
one-half  should  have  sliding  glass  doors.  The  shelves  should 
be  16  inches  deep  up  to  3  feet  4  inches  from  the  floor,  and  the 
remainder  12  inches  deep  up  to  7  feet  from  floor. 

Janitor's  store-room  should  have  cupboards  4  feet  high  and 
12  inches  deep.  Allow  space  for  a  work-bench  3  feet  wide  and 
7  feet  long.  Provide  continuous  shelving  12  inches  wide  on  re- 
maining wall  space  and  above  cupboards  and  work-bench  to  a 
height  of  7  feet. 

The  lockers,  five  in  number,  should  be  each  2  feet  wide  and 
6  feet  3  inches  high,  with  a  shelf  5  feet  3  inches  from  the  floor. 

First  Floor  — 

Vestibule,  entrance  hall,  stairs. 

Delivery  room 400  sq.  ft. 

Stack  space,  stacks  for  25,000  volumes    ....    600-1,200  sq.  ft. 

Reading  room 1,200  sq.  ft. 

Reference  room 400  sq.  ft. 

Children's  room 1,600  sq.  ft. 

Librarian's  room 300-350  sq.  ft. 

The  delivery  desk  should  control  as  far  as  possible  the  whole 
floor,  and  be  placed  as  far  forward  as  is  consistent  with  perfect 
lighting  and  control  of  stacks. 

72 


BROOKLYN    BRANCHES 

The  stairs  may  well  be  put  to  one  side,  or  a  little  out  of  the 
way,  to  prevent  the  noise  from  disturbing  the  readers. 

The  whole  first  floor,  except  the  entrance  hallway,  may  be 
considered  as  forming  really  one  large  room,  the  partitions  being 
chiefly  of  glass  above  the  level  of  5  feet  from  the  floor.  Below 
this  level  they  may  be  formed  by  the  wall-shelving  of  the  several 
rooms  or  divisions.  Wherever  glass  partitions  are  not  used,  the 
wall-shelving  should  extend  to  7  feet  in  height,  except  in  the 
children's  room,  where  it  should  not  exceed  5  feet  in  height. 
All  shelving  should  be  of  metal  (if  not  too  expensive),  in  yft. 
lengths,  8  inches  deep,  and  adjustable,  unless  otherwise  particu- 
larly specified. 

In  the  stack  space  use  double  stacks,  16  inches  deep,  with 
aisles  4  feet  wide  between  and  a  large  window  at  end  of  each  aisle. 
The  stacks  may  be  in  two  tiers  or  stories,  each  7  feet  high  in  the 
clear,  allowing  thus  14  shelves  in  total  height. 

If  preferable,  stacks  may  be  arranged  radially,  as  in  Louisiana 
Purchase  Exposition  Model  Library,  or  in  such  manner  that  the 
desk  will  command  a  clear  view  of  each  stack  and  aisle.  Allow 
8  volumes  to  each  running  foot  of  single  shelving. 

It  is  desirable  to  provide  open  shelving  as  follows : 

In  Reading  room  for 3,000   volumes 

Reference  room  for 2,000   volumes 

Children's  room  for       6,000   volumes 

Librarian's  room  for 1,000    volumes 

(There  will  be  required  a  limited  amount  of  wide  shelving 
for  large  books ;  but  this  detail  is  left  for  determination  in  the 
specifications  and  working  drawings.) 

The  children's  room  may  well  have  a  separate  side  entrance, 
besides  communicating  with  delivery  room.  About  300  sq.  ft. 
of  the  children's  room  should  be  partitioned  off  by  shelving 
and  glass  for  a  children's  reference  room. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  children's  room  is  here  supposed  to 
balance  the  main  reading  room  and  reference  room. 

Second  Floor  — 

Lecture  room,  200-250  seats about  1,500  sq.  ft. 

Two  ante-rooms,  together •  about  450  sq.  ft. 

Two  study  rooms,  together 1,000-1,200  sq.  ft. 

Staff  lunch  room about  180  sq.  ft. 

Staff  sitting  room about  180  sq.  ft. 

Staff  lavatory        about  150  sq.  ft. 

Entrance  hall  and  stairs. 

One  or  two  rooms  for  janitor,  if  practicable. 

7Z 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

The  study  rooms  should  be  connected  by  large  doors,  and 
shelved  for  1,000  volumes. 

The  staff  lunch  room  should  have  shelves  for  ioo  volumes. 

For  purposes  of  economy  it  may  be  necessary  to  dispense 
with  one  ante-room  to  lecture  room,  or  to  make  one,  or  both 
together,  serve  as  the  staff  sitting  room. 

In  connection  with  the  staff  sitting  room,  or  still  better,  if 
practicable,  somewhere  on  the  first  floor,  there  should  be  a  half- 
dozen  lockers  for  the  staff,  similar  in  size  to  those  already  speci- 
fied in  the  basement. 

THE   WILLIAMSBURGH   LIBRARY 

This  will  stand  upon  a  triangular  plot,  as  indicated  in  the  list 
of  sites,  and  should  provide  the  following  accommodations.  The 
heights  of  stories  will  be  as  for  the  other  libraries.  The  total 
sum  available  for  this  building  is  $110,000,  of  which  $85,000  to 
$90,000  may  be  assigned  to  the  building  alone. 

Requirements 

Basement  — 

Entrance  vestibule,  hall,  and  stairs. 

Work-room  with  space  for  magazines,  newspapers,  and 

stock about  500  sq.  ft. 

Janitor's  store-room about  350  sq.  ft. 

Public  lavatories  for  men  and  women,  well  separated     500-750  sq.  ft. 

Heating  and  ventilating  plant. 

Closets  and  six  or  eight  lockers. 

Shelving  and  cupboards,   lockers,  etc.,  precisely  as  for  other  four 

libraries. 
Provide  also  rear  entrance  and  coal  storage. 

First  Floor  — 

Vestibule,  entrance  hall,  and  stairs. 

Delivery  room about  500  sq.  ft. 

Stack  space  and  stacks  for  35,000  volumes  .     .     .     750-1,500  sq.  ft. 

These  three  rooms  —  hall,  delivery,  and  stack  space  — 
should  be  connected  by  liberal  doors  or  archways,  or  the  de- 
livery room  and  stack  space  be  made  one  room,  as  suggested 
for  preceding  libraries,  and  entrance  hall  divided  from  delivery 
room  by  partition. 

Librarian's  room about  320  sq.  ft. 

Cataloguing  room about  320  sq.  ft. 

Children's  room about  2,000  sq.  ft. 

The  Librarian's  and  cataloguing  rooms  should  be  connected. 

74 


BROOKLYN    BRANCHES 

Second  Story  — 

Reading  room  and  reference  room,  together    .     .     .     2,200  sq.  ft. 
Periodical  storage  room,  adjoining  the  reading  room, 

about  220  sq.  ft. 
(Shelving  to  be  as  for  work-room  in  basement  of  other  libraries.) 

Two  study  rooms,  together 1,200  sq.  ft. 

(Connected  by  folding  doors.) 

Staff  lunch  room 180-200  sq.  ft. 

Staff  sitting  room 180-200  sq.  ft. 

Staff  lavatory about  150  sq.  ft. 

Hall  and  stairs. 

Provide  8  to  1  o  staff  lockers,  preferably  on  first  floor. 

Additional  — 

There  will  also  be  required,  if  possible  : 

Auditorium,  with  350  seats about  2,200  sq.  ft. 

Two  ante-rooms  for  same,  together 400-450  sq.  ft. 

Rooms  and  lavatory  for  janitor about  400  sq.  ft. 

These  additional  requirements  may  be  accommodated  at  will 
in  a  one-story,  ground-floor  wing,  or  in  the  second  story,  or 
omitted,  wholly  or  in  part,  though  they  are  extremely  desir- 
able. If  the  cost  permits  of  the  provision  of  an  elevator  of 
good  size,  these  parts  may,  indeed,  be  put  in  an  attic  or  roof- 
story. 

General  suggestions  — 

The  following  suggestions  apply  to  all  the  five  libraries: 

If  radial  stacks  are  used,  the  stack  space  may  be  treated  as  a 
projecting  one-story  wing,  permitting  of  the  future  addition  of  a 
second  story,  doubling  its  capacity. 

Except  in  this  stack  space,  no  bookcases  or  stacks  should  be 
set  upon,  or  project  into,  the  open  floor  space.  In  other  words, 
all  open  shelving  should  be  against  walls  or  form  partitions. 

Public  catalogue  cases,  if  not  arranged  as  part  of  or  close  to 
delivery  desk,  should  be  in  delivery  room  at  some  point  acces- 
sible also  to  children's  room  and  reference  room. 

Each  building  should  have  abundant  interior  telephone  and 
bell  connections. 

The  attention  of  the  Commission  is  especially  called  to  the 
arrangement  of  the  Lawrenceville  Branch  of  the  Pittsburg 
Library,  the  Model  Library  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposi- 
tion, and  the  New  Jersey  Historical  Society's  building  on  West 
Park  Street,  Newark,  N.  J.,  formerly  the  Newark  Free  Public 
Library. 

A  small  coat-room,  near  the  main  entrance,  is  a  desirable 
convenience. 

75 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

A  book-lift  should  run  from  the  basement  work-room  to  the 
study  rooms  on  the  second  floor,  with  an  opening  also  for 
delivery  on  the  first  floor. 

Dust-chutes  should  be  provided  from  the  stack  space  to 
basement. 

The  ventilating  plant  should  not  be  over-elaborate  and  costly. 
The  open  character  of  the  first  story,  which  is  the  part  most 
frequented,  makes  elaborate  artificial  ventilation  less  imperative 
than  might  otherwise  be  the  case. 

Provide  hot  and  cold  water  at  some  point  on  each  floor.  In 
the  children's  room  provide  two  hand-basins  with  hot  and  cold 
water,  well  screened  from  public  view. 

The  stairs  should  be  made  with  easy  risers. 

Marble  base-boards  are  recommended  wherever  tile  flooring 
is  used. 

Windows  in  stack  space  should  run  up  close  to  the  ceiling. 

The  flooring  of  delivery  room  and  entrance  hall,  especially 
the  latter,  should  be  durable  and  yet  as  noiseless  as  possible. 
The  interlocking  rubber  tile  may  be  used  if  not  too  expensive. 

These  requirements,  except  as  to  the  relations  laid  down  as 
necessary  between  the  rooms,  are  intended  as  recommendations. 
The  Commission  and  the  individual  architects  are  at  liberty  to 
submit  modifications  of  the  requirements,  provided  they  main- 
tain these  relations  and  do  not  materially  reduce  the  size  of  the 
important  rooms. 

The  architects  are  requested  to  bear  in  mind  that  abundant 
natural  light  and  natural  ventilation  are  great  desiderata,  and 
that  no  convenience  of  arrangement  should  be  sacrificed  for  mere 
architectural  effect.  Convenience  and  directness  of  access,  sim- 
plicity and  obviousness  of  arrangement  —  such  that  a  stranger 
on  first  entering  the  building  may  see  at  once  where  to  go  for 
what  he  needs  —  are  of  prime  importance,  as  well  as  a  general 
spaciousness,  cheerfulness  and  hospitableness  of  aspect. 

Such  matters,  regarding  the  style,  material  and  finish  of  the 
libraries,  as  it  seems  wise  to  the  Commission  to  agree  upon  and 
lay  down  as  instructions  to  be  followed  by  all,  they  are  requested 
to  determine  upon  at  once  and  report  for  the  information  (and 
if  necessary  the  action)  of  the  Committee;  other  matters  they 
can  leave  to  the  individual  study  of  each  designer.  But  it 
should  be  remembered  that  the  interior  finish  should  be  durable, 
above  all ;   not  easily  defaced  or  caused  to  deteriorate. 

The  scale  and  character  of  the  drawings  are  left  to  the  Com- 
mission to  fix,  but  the  Committee  are  willing  that  they  should 
be  very  simple  and  on  a  small  scale. 

76 


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BROOKLYN    BRANCHES 

The  freest  consultation  both  with  the  Librarian  and  with  the 
Consulting  Architect  is  urged  upon  the  architects,  whenever  it 
may  seem  desirable  and  helpful. 

(Signed)  DAVID  A.  BOODY,  President 

DANIEL  W.  McWILLIAMS 
R.  ROSS  APPLETON 
JOHN  W.  DEVOY 

A.  D.  F.~ HAMLIN,  FRANK  P.  HILL, 

Consulting  Architect  Clerk  and  Librarian 

October  8,  1902 

The  Williamsburgh  branch,  formally  opened  January  28,  1905, 
is  the  largest  and  most  expensive  of  the  Carnegie  branches  in 
Brooklyn  and  is  built  on  a  triangular  site  which  admits  of  a  novel 
arrangement  of  rooms.  It  cost  $1 14,134  exclusive  of  furniture 
and  fittings.  There  is  a  circular  delivery  desk,  beyond  which 
are  divergent  stacks  arranged  for  open  access.  The  building 
has  a  shelf  capacity  of  about  30,000  volumes.  The  north  wing 
to  the  left  of  the  entrance  contains  the  large  main  reading  room, 
while  in  the  opposite  wing  is  the  children's  room.  Ample  space 
is  provided  on  the  second  floor  for  study  rooms,  work  rooms 
and  a  staff  room. 

The  Carroll  Park  branch,  costing  approximately  $80,000,  is 
at  the  corner  of  Clinton  and  Union  Streets,  and  is  a  one-story 
structure,  with  a  well-lighted  basement  extending  nearly  ten  feet 
above  the  street  level.  This  allows  of  a  large  lecture  room  in  the 
basement,  with  a  separate  entrance  from  the  rear  of  the  building. 
It  is  built  of  Harvard  brick  with  limestone  trimmings  and  cost 
about  $75,000. 

The  Flatbush  branch,  costing  approximately  $70,000,  opened 
October  7,  1905,  located  on  Linden  Avenue,  near  Flatbush 
Avenue,  is  a  handsome  building  of  cream-colored  brick,  with 
stone  trimmings.  The  interior  arrangement  is  typical  of  the 
general  plan  of  the  other  Carnegie  branches  in  Brooklyn,  —  an 
open  access  book  room,  adult  reading  room  on  one  side  of  the 
delivery  room  and  the  children's  room  on  the  other,  with  low 
partitions  allowing  of  excellent  supervision. 

At  first  the  auditoriums  in  these  branches  were  not  used  as 
much  as  it  was  expected  they  would  be,  owing  possibly  to  the 

77 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

fact  that  it  was  not  generally  known  for  what  purpose  the  halls 
were  intended.  Later  the  charge  for  the  use  of  them  was  reduced 
from  $10  to  §5  for  an  evening  —  from  $5  to  $3  for  the  after- 
noon —  an  amount  which  merely  covers  the  cost  of  extra  janitor 
service,  light  and  heat. 

"  The  need  of  such  buildings,"  says  the  Librarian  in  the  eighth 
annual  report  of  the  Brooklyn  Public  Library,  "  is  seen  from  the 
large  use  and  the  increase  in  circulation  in  those  branches  that 
have  been  transferred  from  old  to  new  buildings.  This  means 
that  a  beautiful  piece  of  architecture  has  an  uplifting  influence 
upon  the  neighborhood,  an  impression,  no  doubt,  in  the  mind 
of  Mr.  Carnegie  when  he  made  his  splendid  gift  to  greater  New 
York.  It  is  well  known  that  his  intention  has  been  to  extend  the 
influence  of  the  library  to  the  largest  number  of  people,  and  so  it 
must  be  a  source  of  gratification  to  him,  as  it  is  to  us,  to  know 
that  the  establishment  of  these  new  libraries  has  increased  the 
local  pride  and  brought  the  community  interests  closer  together." 


78 


CHAPTER    VIII 

EASTERN   LIBRARIES 

Melrose  and  Clinton,  Mass.  —  Norwalk,  Conn.  —  Philadelphia,  Pa. — 
Syracuse  and  Binghamton,  N.  Y.  —  Johnstown  and  Amsterdam, 
N.  Y.  —  East  Orange,  N.  J. 

THE  Melrose  Public  Library  was  established  at  the 
annual  town  meeting  held  March  27,  1871,  by  ap- 
propriating to  this  purpose  the  accumulated 

£    i  ,    ,  »  r  1  •  Melrose. 

receipts  of  the  dog-tax  tor  the  two  previous  years, 
which  according  to  law  are  applicable  to  the  maintenance  of 
schools  and  libraries.  Though  the  amount  on  hand  was  only 
$624.85,  yet,  by  securing  donations  from  interested  citizens 
and  with  the  gift  of  125  volumes  of  standard  American  authors 
from  the  Franklin  Fraternity,  an  association  of  high  school  boys, 
the  Trustees  were  able  to  report  at  the  end  of  the  first  year  that 
the  library  contained  1,504  volumes.  A  copy  of  the  Bible, 
printed  in  1826,  was  piously  listed  as  volume  number  1  in  the 
collection ;  and  it  retained  this  call  number  until  the  books  were 
reclassified  in  1897. 

At  first,  through  the  courtesy  of  the  Selectmen,  the  library 
shared  with  the  Board  a  room  in  the  Waverly  Block.  Here 
it  remained  until  1874,  when  it  secured  quarters  in  the  new 
City  Hall,  which  it  occupied  until  1895,  when  it  removed  to 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building.  But  before  long  the  collection  of 
books  began  to  crowd  the  new  accommodations,  and  the  Trus- 
tees had  to  provide  more  room.  They  had  long  hoped  that, 
either  by  the  action  of  the  city  or  by  the  generosity  of  some 
of  its  wealthy  citizens  or  former  residents,  a  library  building 
would  be  provided.  They  had  waited  in  vain,  however,  and 
a  number  of  citizens  now  conceived  the  idea  of  writing  to  Mr. 
Carnegie  in  the  hope  of  enlisting  his  interest  in  the  matter. 
In  due  season  the  mayor  received  a  favorable  reply  from  Mr. 
Carnegie,  dated    December  31,   1901,  offering  $25,000  on  the 

79 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

usual  conditions.  The  gift  was  at  once  accepted.  The  old 
High  School  lot  on  Emerson  Street  was  soon  agreed  upon  as 
the  site  for  the  new  building,  and  Mr.  Perm  Varney  of  Lynn 
was  chosen  as  architect 

It  is  a  two-story  building  of  classical  design,  constructed  of 
pressed  brick  of  limestone  color,  with  trimmings  of  Indiana 
limestone,  the  material  being  the  same  as  that  used  in  the 
Carnegie  library  at  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  designed  by  the  same 
architect.  By  raising  the  grade  of  the  lot,  a  perfectly  dry  and 
light  basement  has  been  secured.  Several  features  of  the  in- 
terior arrangement  deserve  notice.  The  two  flights  of  stairs 
ascending  from  the  entrance  hall  to  the  second  story  afford 
access  to  the  art  gallery,  historical  room,  and  reference  room 
without  the  necessity  of  entering  any  of  the  rooms  on  the  first 
floor.  The  partition  between  the  delivery  room  and  the  hall 
is  of  glass,  and  can  be  removed  during  the  summer  months. 
From  the  librarian's  desk  every  room  on  the  first  floor  is  visible, 
while  by  means  of  the  glass  partition  the  attendant  at  the  desk 
is  aware  of  any  one  going  to  the  second  story.  Supervision  is 
thus  greatly  facilitated.  The  stack  room,  which  is  fire-proof, 
will  accommodate  about  22,000  volumes  to  a  floor.  A  metal 
book-lift  is  provided,  extending  from  the  unpacking-room  in 
the  basement  to  the  catalogue  room,  and  thence  to  the  refer- 
ence room  on  the  second  story.  Near  the  entrance  have  been 
placed  memorial  tablets,  bearing  the  names  of  all  the  citizens 
of  Melrose  who  served  in  the  Civil  War  to  the  credit  of  the 
town. 

"  Believing  that  the  public  library  in  a  community  should  be 
a  distinctively  educational  force  and  a  strong  ally  of  the  public 
schools,"  the  librarian  writes,  "  we  have  given  much  care  to  the 
juvenile  department.  The  children's  room  is  large  and  attrac- 
tive, is  furnished  with  portfolios,  nature  study  cases,  globes, 
maps,  and  pictorial  bulletins  illustrating  national  holidays  and 
the  birthdays  of  noted  persons,  which  are  changed  each  month. 
The  juvenile  and  school  books  are  shelved  here  with  a  separate 
catalogue,  and  an  attendant  is  always  present  to  assist  in  choice 
of  books  and  looking  up  references.  We  have  also  established 
a  loan  or  branch  library  at  the  high  school,  and  have  recently 
purchased  two  Underwood  stcreopticon  tours  for  the  use  of 
schools  of  the  higher  grades.  Children  are  admitted  to  full 
library  privileges  at  the  age  of  ten." 

80 


EASTERN    LIBRARIES 

For  many  years  there  had  been  a  feeling  among  the  directors 
of  the  Bigelow  Free  Public  Library  at  Clinton  and  the  citizens  in 
general  that  their  town  was  not  furnishing  such  library  CUn 
accommodations  as  it  should.  As  a  preliminary  step 
towards  improving  the  conditions,  the  directors  had  been  made 
a  committee  to  investigate  building  sites  and  to  propose  ways 
and  means  for  providing  a  suitable  structure.  As  the  sentiment 
was  universal  that  when  a  building  was  erected  it  should  be  done 
in  a  thorough  manner,  and  as  the  town  had  nearly  reached  its 
debt  limit  and  other  needs  were  pressing,  the  time  never  seemed 
to  arrive  when  it  appeared  wise  to  ask  for  an  appropriation  for 
suitable  library  accommodations.  It  was  therefore  welcome 
news  when,  on  March  15,  1901,  word  was  received  that  through 
the  intercession  of  Mr.  J.  F.  MacNab  of  Washington,  a  former 
citizen  of  Clinton,  and  Congressman  George  W.  Weymouth, 
Mr.  Carnegie  had  promised  to  give  $25,000  for  a  library  build- 
ing. This  gift  was  accepted  at  a  meeting  held  July  10,  1901. 
The  next  step  was  to  secure  a  site,  a  matter  in  which  there 
was  some  difference  of  opinion  at  the  town  meeting  called  on 
November  29  to  consider  the  question,  until  it  became  known 
that  if  the  estate  of  the  late  Dr.  G.  M.  Morse  were  chosen  its 
cost,  which  was  $15,000,  would  be  bequeathed  to  the  town 
on  the  death  of  a  certain  gentleman,  who  afterwards  proved  to 
be  George  Washington  Weeks,  for  many  years  connected  with 
the  library  as  librarian  and  secretary.  It  was  immediately  voted 
to  purchase  this  lot,  which  is  of  ample  dimensions  and  most 
desirably  located  opposite  the  Town  Hall  and  near  the  High 
School  and  other  public  buildings  and  not  far  from  Central 
Park.  In  addition  to  the  price  of  the  land  $15,000  was  appro- 
priated at  this  meeting  to  be  used  for  the  building  together  with 
Mr.  Carnegie's  gift.  At  a  subsequent  meeting  an  additional 
$6,000  was  appropriated  for  the  same  purpose.  About  $2,000 
from  the  regular  library  appropriation  has  been  spent  for  the 
furnishings,  so  that  the  building  and  lot  represent  an  expendi- 
ture of  about  $63,000. 

It  was  determined  at  the  outset  that  utility  should  not  be 
sacrificed  to  ornament,  and  that  the  greatest  amount  of  room 
should  be  secured  for  the  least  expense  consistent  with  thorough 
construction.  The  simple  dignity  and  beauty  of  the  building 
are  the  result  of  the  perfection  of  the  proportion,  the  harmony 

81 


CARNEGIE   LIBRARIES 

of  the  parts,  and  the  evident  fitness  to  the  purpose  for  which 
it  was  designed.  The  arrangement  of  the  surrounding  grounds 
and  the  vines  already  climbing  the  walls  add  to  its  attractive- 
ness. The  interior  of  the  building  is  divided  vertically  into 
three  sections  by  brick  partitions.  On  the  south  side  is  a 
room  40  X  20  feet  in  size  on  each  of  the  three  floors.  On  the 
main  floor  this  is  the  reading-room,  the  walls  being  lined  with 
bookcases  containing  works  of  reference.  On  the  second  floor 
it  is  used  for  the  exhibition  of  works  of  art,  while  in  the  base- 
ment it  is  a  newspaper  room,  having  a  separate  entrance  from 
the  street.  The  two  lower  floors  of  the  corresponding  room  on 
the  north  side  are  devoted  to  the  stack,  which  has  a  present 
capacity  of  about  30,000  volumes,  with  the  possibility  of  an 
additional  floor,  raising  its  capacity  to  50,000.  In  the  upper 
story  this  room  will  be  given  up  to  the  use  of  the  children. 
At  the  right  of  the  entrance  is  a  small  room  for  the 
directors,  and  balancing  it,  at  the  rear  of  the  building,  the 
librarian's  room.  Occupying  the  centre  of  the  building  is  the 
delivery  room,  furnished  with  tables  and  chairs  and  containing 
the  card  catalogue  and  a  bookcase  made  to  hold  about  600 
volumes,  which  will  always  be  accessible  to  the  public.  One 
of  the  most  notable  and  pleasing  features  of  this  room  and  of 
the  reading-room  is  the  arched  ceiling,  built  by  the  Guastavino 
method,  a  system  of  construction  first  extensively  applied  in 
the  Boston  Public  Library.  Its  chief  merit  consists  in  the  prac- 
tical elimination  of  steel,  in  place  of  which  is  substituted  genu- 
ine masonry.  The  staircase  is  constructed  by  the  same  method. 
Another  interesting  feature  of  the  delivery  room  is  the  frieze,  a 
reproduction  of  that  of  the  west  front  of  the  Parthenon,  which 
was  the  gift  of  Henry  F.  Bigelow.  Near  the  main  entrance  is 
a  marble  tablet,  giving  due  honor  to  Horatio  Nelson  Bigelow, 
the  founder  of  the  library,  Erastus  Brigham  Bigelow,  for  whom 
it  was  named,  and  Andrew  Carnegie,  George  Washington 
Weeks,  and  the  town  of  Clinton,  by  whose  gifts  the  library 
building  was  erected. 

The  fine  building  of  the  Norwalk  Public  Library,  which  was 
the  first  library  in  Connecticut  to  take  advantage  of  the  gener- 
osity of  Mr.  Carnegie,  is  noticeable  as  a  departure  from 
the  simple  and  severe  style  of  architecture  commonly 
prevailing  among  the  small  libraries  recently  erected.    The  build- 

82 


PHILADKI.I'III  A    BRANCHES 


\l   .    II!  II    I     I 

G.  \\    &  w.  I).  Hewitt,  Architects 

LlNDLEY   Jl  ills-.'  IN,   A.RI   III  I  1  >    1 


1     PHI]    U'l    I    I'lllA 
2.     LI   HI. .11     \\  I   Ml 
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INTERIORS   OF    PHILADELPHIA    BRANCHES 


I       U  I    >  I      I'MII    Mil. I    I'lllA 

I,    l.i  nil. ii   A  .  i 


IY   U'M.  II     RAU 


EASTERN    LIBRARIES 

ing  committee  was  fortunate  in  securing  the  services  of  Messrs. 
W.  and  G.  Audsley,  Englishmen,  who  came  to  America  to  build 
the  Milwaukee  Art  Gallery,  and  who  are  also  the  architects  of 
the  Liverpool  Library  and  other  public  buildings.  After  a  care- 
ful study  of  the  site,  the  Elizabethan  style  of  architecture  was 
chosen  as  the  most  suitable.  The  outer  walls  are  faced  with 
red  brick,  relieved  by  a  few  horizontal  lines  of  black  brick 
and  limestone  trimmings.  The  entrance  porch  exhibits  char- 
acteristic details  of  the  style,  executed  in  stone,  combining 
effectively  with  the  red  brick.  The  projecting  windows  and 
the  gables  are  of  dark  wood,  the  panelling  of  the  gables  being 
in  light-gray  cement,  while  the  green  slate  of  the  roof  forms 
a  pleasing  combination  of  color  with  the  rest  of  the  work.  The 
windows  are  filled  with  clear  leaded  glass  of  an  Elizabethan 
pattern,  in  harmony  with  the  general  treatment.  The  light  is 
peculiarly  well  diffused  through  the  leaded  glass  panes,  and  it  is 
claimed  that  there  is  not  a  dark  spot  in  the  building.  Special 
attention  was  given  to  the  lighting,  as  the  committee  in  charge 
was  convinced  that  one  of  the  most  common  faults  in  library 
building  is  bad  lighting. 

As  the  main  floor  of  the  building  is  considerably  above  the 
level  of  the  ground,  a  handsome  flight  of  steps  leads  to  the  en- 
trance porch,  from  which  opens  a  square  inner  vestibule  of  orna- 
mental woodwork,  glazed  with  decorative  leaded  glass.  On 
either  side  of  the  central  hall  is  a  large  and  finely  lighted  reading- 
room,  with  a  projecting  bay  window.  The  room  to  the  right  is 
exclusively  for  the  use  of  the  children.  Bold  arcades,  the 
moulded  arches  of  which  spring  from  square  columns  and 
pilasters  highly  ornamental  in  character  and  of  a  design  pecu- 
liar to  Elizabethan  architecture  in  its  highest  development,  sep- 
arate these  rooms  from  the  central  hall.  Opening  from  the 
rear  of  the  hall  are  the  directors'  and  librarian's  rooms  and  the 
large  polygonal  stack  room. 

From  the  main  hall  a  handsome  staircase  leads  to  the  large 
newspaper  reading-room  in  the  basement,  situated  under  one  of 
the  main  reading-rooms.  Under  the  other  is  the  heating  and 
ventilating  apparatus.  A  lecture  room  with  a  seating  capacity 
of  about  200  containing  a  stage  and  provided  with  a  special 
entrance  from  the  side  street,  occupies  the  space  below  the  stack 
room.     The  basement  contains  also  a  receiving-room,  furnished 

83 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

with  a  lift  to  the  directors'  room  above,  where  some  of  the  work 
of  the  library  can  be  done,  as  directors'  meetings  are  held 
but  once  a  month. 

The  fixed  idea  of  the  management  is  that  the  four  great  popu- 
lar educational  movements  of  the  times  —  the  school,  the  library, 
the  woman's  club,  and  the  lecture  course  —  should  go  hand  in 
hand.  Every  possible  encouragement  is  given  to  the  teachers 
to  make  free  use  of  the  library,  the  work  of  the  university  exten- 
sion courses  is  promoted,  and  travelling  libraries  are  sent  out  to 
deposit  stations  in  various  parts  of  the  town. 

On  May  7th,  1903,  there  was  sent  to  the  Mayor  of  Philadel- 
phia an  ordinance  drafted  by  the  City  Solicitor  to  authorize  the 
Mayor  to  execute  an  agreement  between  the  city  and 
the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Free  Library,  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  into  effect  the  offer  of  Andrew  Carnegie  to 
provide  thirty  branch  libraries  for  the  city.  A  form  of  contract 
was  appended.  The  ordinance  was  referred  to  the  Finance 
Committee.  Accompanying  the  ordinance  was  the  following 
message : 

"  I  have  the  honor  of  transmitting  herewith  a  letter  from  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Free  Library  of  Philadelphia,  dated 
May  2,  1903,  together  with  a  proposed  contract  prepared  by 
the  Board  of  Trustees  between  the  City  of  Philadelphia  and  the 
said  Board  of  Trustees  representing  Andrew  Carnegie,  in  which 
a  form  of  contract  has  been  approved  by  Mr.  Carnegie. 

"  The  offer  of  Mr.  Carnegie  was  contained  in  a  letter  dated 
January  3,  1903,  to  provide  $1,500,000,  as  the  same  may  be 
needed,  to  erect  thirty  branch  library  buildings  for  Philadelphia, 
provided  such  be  obtained  and  the  city  agrees  to  maintain  these 
branch  libraries  at  a  cost  of  not  less  than  $150,000  a  year,  or  10 
per  cent  of  their  cost.  Following  this  offer  an  act  of  Assembly 
was  passed  by  the  Pennsylvania  Legislature,  and  signed  by  the 
Governor  on  March  20,  1903,  authorizing  cities  of  the  first  class 
to  enter  into  contracts  or  agreements  with  any  person  desiring 
to  donate  to  said  cities  sums  of  money  to  be  used  for  the  erec- 
tion of  free  branch  libraries  of  such  cities. 

"  You  will  observe  that  under  the  contract  it  will  be  necessary 
for  the  city  to  provide  annually  a  sum  not  less  than  10  per  cent 
of  the  amount  expended  by  the  said  Andrew  Carnegie  in  the 
building  of  the  branch  libraries  for  the  maintenance  thereof, 
and,  in  addition  thereto,  you  must  provide  funds  for  the  neces- 

84 


EASTERN    LIBRARIES 

sary  repair  of  the  several  buildings  constructed  under  this  agree- 
ment. Inasmuch,  however,  as  the  buildings  cannot  be  com- 
pleted for  several  years,  it  would  not  be  necessary  to  provide 
for  the  whole  amount  of  $150,000  until  the  whole  thirty  build- 
ings were  erected,  but  only  such  amount  as  would  represent  10 
per  cent  of  the  cost. 

"By  the  acceptance  of  this  magnificent  gift  of  $1,500,000, 
and  the  carrying  out  of  the  terms  of  the  proposed  contract,  we 
shall  establish  a  system  of  free  libraries  that  will  be  a  great 
benefit  to  our  people,  and,  while  I  hesitate  to  involve  the  city  in 
additional  expense,  it  seems  to  me,  after  a  careful  consideration 
of  the  matter,  that  the  great  benefits  and  advantages  to  our 
people  far  outweigh  any  expense  it  will  be  necessary  for  the  city 
to  assume  under  this  contract." 

The  gift  gave  welcome  relief  from  the  expense  of  the  rented 
rooms  occupied  by  the  branches,  and  from  much  of  the  risk 
to  which  the  collections  were  subjected  in  these  temporary 
quarters. 

"  The  future  of  the  Free  Library,"  said  Mr.  J.  G.  Rosengarten 
in  his  presidential  letter  prefixed  to  the  seventh  annual  report, 
"is  now  insured  by  the  splendid  gift  of  a  million  and  a  half  dollars 
which  Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie  has  made  for  the  erection  of  thirty 
Branch  Library  buildings  throughout  the  city,  and  by  the  gen- 
erous offer  of  public-spirited  citizens  to  give  suitable  sites  for 
them  in  various  parts  of  the  city.  This  prompt  reply  to  Mr. 
Carnegie's  offer  shows  that  the  people  of  Philadelphia  look  to 
their  city  government  to  accept  Mr.  Carnegie's  offer  and  that 
of  sites  for  Branch  Library  buildings,  and  to  carry  on  the  work 
of  the  Free  Library  by  liberal  appropriations  for  its  maintenance 
on  a  large  scale  worthy  of  the  city.  It  was  here  that  Franklin 
founded  the  first  circulating  library  in  this  country,  and  the 
Philadelphia  Library  still  does  a  useful  work  for  its  members. 
Other  proprietary  libraries  have  grown  into  valuable  adjuncts  to 
our  other  educational  institutions.  None  of  them,  however, 
serves  the  public  as  does  the  Free  Library,  providing  good 
reading  for  our  school  children,  for  our  industrious  adult  popu- 
lation, and  for  the  city's  useful  employees,  firemen,  and  tele- 
graph operators.  The  Free  Library  offers  in  its  Main  Library, 
in  spite  of  its  unsafe  and  unsanitary  temporary  quarters,  and  in 
its  fourteen  Branches,  and  its  ninety-two  Travelling  Libraries, 
located  in  various  parts  of  the  city,  in  its  Children's  Department, 
and  in  that  for  the  Blind,  facilities  that  only  need  a  wise  use  of 
Mr.   Carnegie's  munificent  gift  and  of  the  generous  offers  by 

85 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

private  citizens  of  sites  for  the  thirty  Branches  he  proposes  to 
build,  to  make  the  Free  Library  of  Philadelphia  one  of  this 
city's  most  useful  and  most  creditable  institutions.  Through 
cooperation  with  the  local  libraries  at  Roxborough,  at  Chestnut 
Hill,  at  Frankford,  at  Holmesburg,  and  in  West  Philadelphia, 
they  have  grown  to  be  centres  of  library  work  on  a  greatly  in- 
creased scale,  and  the  future  is  full  of  promise  if  the  same  plan 
of  union  is  extended. 

"  The  addition  of  a  good  lecture  hall  to  each  Branch  Library 
to  be  built  with  Mr.  Carnegie's  gift,  strongly  urged  by  him,  will 
make  the  Free  Library  of  each  section  of  the  city  the  centre 
and  headquarters  of  increased  intellectual  life  and  activity.  The 
cooperation  of  the  Free  Library  with  the  Society  for  the  Ex- 
tension of  University  Teaching  has  been  productive  of  such 
good  results  in  the  past,  that  it  is  now  decided  to  raise  by  sub- 
scription a  fund  which  shall  be  used  in  maintaining  and  increas- 
ing the  useful  lectures  given  by  University  Extension  lecturers 
and  others  in  the  Free  Libraries  of  the  city." 

"  The  eagerness  of  those  who  have  offered  sites  for  new 
branch  libraries  to  assist  in  the  work,"  said  Mr.  Rosengarten, 
on  another  occasion,  "  is  of  itself  the  best  proof  of  the  public 
faith  in  the  utility  of  the  Free  Library,  and  in  its  value  as  a 
factor  in  the  self-education  of  those  who  use  it." 

The  Carnegie  branches  have  several  features  in  common. 
The  interiors  consist  of  large  rooms  undivided  by  partitions 
separating  reference  from  circulating  departments,  or  even  chil- 
dren from  adults,  and  there  is  also  always  an  auditorium  for 
illustrated  lectures.  The  latter  have  been  markedly  successful  in 
Philadelphia.  Each  branch  has  a  recognized  clientele  and  lec- 
turers are  always  sure  of  a  good-sized  audience.  Large  num- 
bers are  frequently  turned  away  on  account  of  the  lack  of 
accommodations. 

The  three  buildings  represented  in  the  accompanying  illustra- 
tions were  the  first  of  the  Carnegie  branches  to  be  opened.  The 
West  Philadelphia  branch,  opened  June  26,  1906,  is  an  out- 
growth from  Branch  No.  5  of  the  Philadelphia  Public  Library, 
dating  back  to  1895. 

The  Lehigh  Avenue  branch,  opened  on  the  evening  of  Nov. 
20,  1906,  is  built  of  terra  cotta  with  a  granite  base.  The  main 
room  is  1 19  X  53  feet.  The  library  opened  with  a  stock  of  10,000 
volumes.     The  Tacony  branch,  opened  a  week  later,  is  some- 

86 


EASTERN    LIBRARIES 

what  smaller,  the  main  room  being  68  X  44  feet,  with  a  lecture 
room  at  the  side,  measuring  44  X  35  feet. 

The  Carnegie  building  of  the  Syracuse  Public  Library  repre- 
sents an  outlay  of  nearly  $350,000.  On  the  first  floor  is  the 
circulating  department.  The  delivery  desk,  which  racuse 
is  15  feet  in  length,  is  in  front  of  the  main  entrance 
and  will  accommodate  a  large  number  of  people  without 
crowding.  Beyond  the  desk  is  a  one-story  stack,  open  to  the 
public,  with  accommodations  for  14,000  volumes.  Here  are 
shelved  both  fiction  and  biography,  the  two  classes  of  books 
most  in  demand.  Behind  this  is  the  main  book  stack  which 
will  hold  over  95,000  volumes.  To  the  left  of  the  entrance  is 
the  children's  room,  with  shelving  for  6,000  volumes.  There 
is  also  a  room  where  classes  or  small  groups  of  young  people 
may  go  for  study,  or  where  story  hours  can  be  held.  To  the 
right  of  the  entrance  lobby  is  the  main  reading  room,  in  which 
are  kept  the  current  magazines  and  newspapers.  The  reference 
room  is  on  the  second  floor,  where  are  also  the  trustees'  room, 
and  a  room  devoted  to  local  history  and  genealogy,  with  accom- 
modations for  15,000  volumes.  On  the  third  floor  there  are  a 
picture  gallery  and  an  assembly  room.  In  the  mezzanine 
between  the  first  and  second  floors  is  a  staff  rest  room  for  the 
women.  In  the  basement  there  are  a  room  for  the  men  employed 
in  the  building,  a  work-shop  for  the  janitor,  store  rooms  and 
heating  plant.  The  library  is  located  near  the  centre  of  the  city, 
opposite  the  new  Court  House,  and  near  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building, 
the  Cathedral  and  the  Onondaga  Historical  Society. 

The  Binghamton  Public  Library  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  City 
School  Library  established  a  half-century  ago.  In  1901  the 
school  library  contained  about  15,000  volumes,  effi- 
ciently administered  under  the  direction  of  the  School 
Board,  but  poorly  housed  in  a  small  reading-room  in  one  of  the 
school  buildings.  The  existence  of  the  present  building  is  due 
largely  to  the  efforts  of  the  Binghamton  Board  of  Trade,  aided 
by  the  generosity  of  Andrew  Carnegie.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
Trustees  of  the  Board  held  on  November  16,  1901,  a  committee 
of  four  was  appointed  to  devise  some  plan  for  the  establishment 
of  a  public  library,  with  full  authority  to  confer  with  Mr.  Carnegie 
concerning  a  building.  The  Committee  opened  correspondence 
with  Mr.  Carnegie  on  April    10,    1902,  setting  forth  in  full  the 

37 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

economic  conditions  of  Binghamton  and  its  suburbs,  and  the 
benefits  which  would  accrue  to  a  large  population  from  an  ade- 
quate library  establishment.  In  its  letter  the  Committee  empha- 
sized the  fact  that  Binghamton  possessed  a  working  library,  but 
stated  there  was  a  growing  desire  for  better  things  ;  the  move- 
ment in  favor  of  a  public  library  had  been  growing  for  several 
years,  but  the  chief  obstacle  was  the  high  cost  of  real  estate  in 
localities  suitable  for  the  site.  The  purchase  of  such  a  site 
would  leave  no  funds  for  the  building,  or  if  a  building  were 
erected  it  must  be  located  in  an  out-of-the-way  place,  which 
would  deprive  the  library  of  its  usefulness.  The  Committee 
suggested  that  if  Mr.  Carnegie  would  make  possible  a  building 
by  the  donation  of  $75,000,  the  city  could  and  would  provide 
a  site  at  a  cost  of  $20,000  or  more,  raise  from  $10,000  to  $20,000 
for  the  purchase  of  books,  and  provide  amply  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  library.  To  this  letter  a  full  statistical  report  of  the 
industries,  institutions,  and  population  of  the  city  was  appended. 

The  result  of  this  correspondence  appeared  in  a  report  sub- 
mitted by  the  Committee  to  the  Board  of  Trade  on  April  28, 
1902,  wherein  there  was  placed  before  that  body  a  letter  from 
Mr.  Carnegie  offering  to  furnish  $75,000  for  a  building,  if  the 
city  of  Binghamton  would  pledge  $7,500  a  year  for  the  support  of 
the  library  and  would  provide  a  suitable  site.  Upon  receipt  of 
this  letter  the  Board  called  a  meeting  of  citizens  on  the  evening 
of  May  5,  1902,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  an  expression  of 
public  opinion.  At  this  meeting  a  resolution  was  unanimously 
adopted  requesting  the  Common  Council  to  submit  the  question 
to  a  vote  of  the  people  at  an  early  date,  and  this  resolution,  to- 
gether with  Mr.  Carnegie's  letter,  was  laid  before  the  Common 
Council.  A  resolution  of  the  Board  of  Education  in  favor  of 
turning  over  to  the  proposed  library  the  books  in  the  existing 
library,  and  giving  further  support  to  the  general  library  plan, 
was  also  presented  to  the  Council  at  its  next  meeting. 

A  commitee  was  appointed  on  May  10,  1904,  to  secure  options 
upon  suitable  sites  for  a  library  building.  Out  of  fifteen  options 
secured  a  site  on  the  corner  of  Exchange  Street  and  Congdon 
Place,  1 10  X  126  feet,  was  recommended  for  purchase  at  a  net 
cost  of  $15,000.  This  site  being  valued  at  $17,500  was  made 
available  by  the  offer  of  the  owner,  Mrs.  Amelia  F.  Plumb,  to 
contribute  $2,500  towards  the  purchase  price  or  for  other  library 

88 


EASTERN    LIBRARIES 

purposes.  A  special  election  was  called  by  the  Council  for  June 
25,  1902,  to  vote  upon  the  question  of  accepting  the  $75,000 
offer  and  the  purchase  of  the  site.  Immediately  after  the  an- 
nouncement of  the  date  of  the  election  the  friends  of  the  library 
movement  organized  a  Citizens'  Library  Campaign  Committee, 
which  during  a  vigorous  campaign  received  the  cordial  and 
effective  support  of  various  organizations,  the  pastors  of  promi- 
nent churches,  and  the  daily  newspapers.  This  committee,  among 
other  measures  adopted,  issued  the  following  campaign  circular : 

INFORMATION  FOR  LIBRARY  VOTERS 


For  Fifteen  Years  —  The  Educators,  the  men  and  women  who  work  with  you, 

moulding  your  children's  minds  and  character,  have  felt  the  necessity  and  have 

been  asking  for  a  Public  Library. 

WILL  YOU  GRANT  IT  NOW? 

For  Fifteen  Years  —  You  have  been  wasting  part  of  the  wages  paid  them  by  not 
furnishing  them  all  the  accessories  and  tools  necessary. 

WILL  YOU  FURNISH  THEM  NOW? 

For  Fifteen  Years  —  The  intelligent,  public-spirited  people  of  Binghamton  have 

been  proclaiming  that  this  city  lacked  a  Public  Library,  such  as  all  progressive, 

up-to-date  cities  have. 

WILL  YOU  VOTE  FOR  IT  NOW? 

A  Public  Library — Is  cooperative  with  both  school  and  church  work.  Every 
church  in  the  city,  both  Protestant  and  Catholic,  has  spoken  in  clear  and  ring- 
ing voice  in  favor  of  it. 

IS  YOUR  VOICE  WITH  THEM? 

A  Generous  Man  —  Offers  to  give  our  city  seventy-five  thousand  dollars  for  such 
a  library,  asking  never  a  cent  in  return. 

WILL  YOU  VOTE  TO  ACCEPT  IT? 

A  Silly  Child —  Will  refuse  a  ripe  plum  that  is  offered,  just  because  its  eye  is  on 
apples  and  grapes  that  are  yet  green  and  not  ready  to  pick.  $75,000  is  a  pretty 
big  plum.  It  is  ripe.  It  is  ready.  It  is  a  free  offer.  It  is  now  or  never.  Can 
we  afford  to  refuse  it? 

ANSWER  BY  YOUR  VOTE. 

Seventy-Five  Thousand  Dollars  —  Will  be  brought  into  our  city  and  distributed 
among  our  mechanics  and  laborers.    Can  we  afford  to  turn  it  away? 

LET  THE  WORICINGMAN'S  VOTE  ANSWER. 

Every  Taxpayer  —  Will  have  to  pay  about  nineteen  cents  additional  yearly  on 
each  $1,000  valuation.  No  more  !  That  covers  every  item  of  running  expense, 
new  books,  everything ! 

SHALL  PENNIES  OUTWEIGH  BRAINS? 

In  Years  To  Come  —  As  the  city  adds  more  and  more  property,  the  library  tax 
(if  it  is  built  now)  will  grow  less  and  less  each  year. 

WILL  YOU  VOTE  THIS  ECONOMY? 

89 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

But  If  We  Wait  —  And  pay  it  all  ourselves,  it  will  cost  us  ninety  thousand  and 
interest,  instead  of  fifteen  thousand  and  interest  for  the  same  site  and  building. 
That  is  a  big  difference. 

WILL  YOU  VOTE  THIS  SAVING? 

In  Years  To  Come  —  To  minister  to  one  side  of  humanity's  needs,  you  will 
point  with  pride  to  our  fine  "  Stone  Asylum"  and  our  fine  "  Stone  Jail"  for  the 
unfortunate  and  the  criminal,  and  when  asked  where  is  your  fine  Stone  Library 
for  your  sons  and  daughters,  and  —  Did  you  vote  for  it  ? 

WILL  YOU  LOOK  UP— OR  HANG  YOUR  HEAD? 

Spending  Your  Money  —  For  a  library's  moral  influence  and  protection,  is  far 
better,  and  much  less  expensive  than  paying  it  for  courts  and  police  protection. 

IS  IT  NOT  SO? 

Arguments  Have  Been  Made  —  Against  it.  Every  one  of  them  has  been  proven 
either  illogical  or  untrue.  No  man  who  votes  against  it  will  ever  be  able  to 
stand  up  and  say,  it  was  for  the  city's  good,  and  not  "  for  my  own  pocket." 

VOTE  HONESTLY. 

More  Than  A  Library  —  If  desired,  the  Library  building  may  contain  an  Assem- 
bly Hall,  Separate  Reading  Rooms,  also  Rooms  for  Historical  and  Art  Collec- 
tions, a  Repository  for  Valuable  Records,  and  a  Gymnasium. 

BINGHAM  TON  NEEDS  THEM  ALL. 

Three  Hundred  and  Seventy  Cities  —  Have  voted  to  accept  Mr.  Carnegie's 
offer  on  precisely  the  same  terms.  Where  would  Binghamton's  intelligence  and 
public  spirit  stand  in  the  whole  country's  estimation  if  it  alone  refuses  ? 

LET  YOUR  VOTE  ANSWER. 

Binghamton  Has  It  All  —  All  the  money.    All  the  planning.    All  the  say.    Mr. 

Carnegie  neither  dictates  nor  restricts  anything.    The  yearly  cost  of  maintenance 

will  be  expended  right  here  among  our  own  tradesmen  and  employes.     The  gift 

will  bring  more  money  into  Binghamton  than  will  ever  be  taken  out  on  the 

library's  account. 

VOTE   TO  BRING   THE  MONEY  HERE. 

Don't  Miss  Your  Opportunity  Nor  Shirk 
Your  Responsibility 

This  is  the  most  important  improvement  ever  decided  by  vote  in  this  city.  The 
whole  country  is  alive  with  interest  in  Public  Libraries,  is  watching  Bingham- 
ton, and  the  result  will  be  heralded  everywhere.     Shall  they  not  say 

"BINGHAMTON  ACCEPTS  ONE,    TOO!" 

The  following  organizations  have  passed  resolutions  favoring  the  Public  Library 
and  urging  their  members  or  friends  to  vote  for  it : 

THE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION 

THE  MINISTERIAL  ASSOCIATION 
THE  ADVERTISERS   AND 

BUSINESS  MEN'S  ASSOCIATION 

THE  HIGH  SCHOOL  ALUMNI   AND 

VARIOUS  SOCIAL  AND  CIVIC  CLUBS 
90 


James  a.  Randall,  akchitec 


Photo,  by  J.  A.  Seitz 


SYRACUSE,    XEW   YORK 


S.  O.  &  H.  A.  LACEV,  ARCHITECTS  PHOTO.  BY  DETROIT  PUBLISHH 

BINGHAM  ION,    NEW   YORK 


FIKST    FLOOR    PLAN,    SYRACUSE    PUBLIC    LIHRARY 


EASTERN    LIBRARIES 

Don't  Neglect  To  Vote  ! 

The  canvass  shows  a  large  majority  in  its  favor,  but  if  one  and  another,  and  still 
others  fail  for  any  reason  to  vote,  a  poor  showing  will  be  reported,  if  not  defeat. 
Make  the  vote  large.  Make  it  unanimous.  Take  an  hour  and  do  a  duty  that  you 
will  be  proud  to  speak  of  in  years  to  come. 

DON'T  NEGLECT  TO  VOTE.     VOTE  EARLY. 


Polls  Open  from  6  o'clock  A.M.,  till  6  o'clock  P.  M., 

Wednesday,  June  Twenty-Fifth,  1902, 

at  the  Municipal  Building 

Only  Male  Taxpayers  over  twenty-one  years  old  can  vote. 

As  a  result  of  the  campaign  the  library  proposition,  although 
it  carried  a  slight  increase  in  taxation,  received  a  substantial 
majority,  and  Mr.  Carnegie's  gift  was  formally  accepted  by  the 
Common  Council  on  July  1,  1902.  On  the  8th  of  July  the 
Binghamton  Free  Public  Library  was  organized,  a  Board  of 
Trustees  was  appointed  July  22,  and  application  was  thereafter 
made  to  the  Regents  of  the  University  of  the  State  of  New  York 
for  a  charter.  Before  the  issue  of  the  charter  on  December  4, 
1902,  however,  the  name  was  changed  to  the  "  Binghamton 
Public  Library." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  held  November  7,  1902,  Mr.  I.  G. 
Perry,  consulting  architect  to  the  commission  on  building,  pre- 
sented two  sets  of  sketches,  with  detailed  estimate  of  cost  and 
proposed  prospectus.  A  motion  was  then  made  inviting  ten 
architects  —  four  non-resident  and  six  resident  —  to  submit  com- 
petitive designs  for  the  proposed  building.  Of  this  number  five 
only  submitted  plans,  and  at  a  meeting  held  February  6,  1903, 
all  of  these  were  rejected,  and  another  competition  was  invited. 
From  the  second  competition  the  plans  submitted  by  S.  O.  and 
H.  A.  Lacy  of  Binghamton  were  selected,  with  the  qualification 
that  the  architects  should,  with  the  cooperation  of  Mr.  Perry, 
make  certain  changes  in  the  plans  as  originally  submitted.  The 
general  plans  and  specifications,  as  finally  presented  on  the  27th 
of  May,  were  formally  accepted,  and  the  contract  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  building  was  let  July  7,  1903. 

The  exterior  is  classical  in  design.  Four  large  Ionic  columns 
support  the  entablature,  .and  on  the  tympanum  of  the  pediment 
an  open  book  is  carved  in  stone.  The  material  is  of  steel-gray 
pressed  brick  with  Indiana  limestone  trimmings,  the  roof  tiled 

9i 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

in  red.  The  entrance  door  is  of  panelled  oak  with  bronze 
trimmings,  at  the  top  of  which  are  plate  glass  panels;  above 
this  is  an  ornamental  stone  lintel  supported  on  brackets.  From 
the  portico  a  large  vestibule  opens  into  the  main  entrance  hall, 
ornamental  iron  staircases  leading  from  either  side  to  a  landing 
in  front  from  which  a  single  flight  leads  to  the  foyer  above. 
Double  doors  lead  from  the  entrance  hall  to  the  delivery  room, 
at  the  back  of  which  is  the  circular  delivery  desk  of  quartered 
oak.  Archways  supported  by  Ionic  columns  lead  from  the  de- 
livery hall  to  the  reading-room  and  reference  rooms  on  either 
side.  On  the  second  floor  are  the  trustees'  room,  a  society  room, 
and  an  art  room  with  a  large  skylight.  The  remainder  of  the 
floor  is  occupied  by  an  assembly  hall,  having  a  seating  capac- 
ity of  about  three  hundred  persons.  The  interior  is  finished 
throughout  in  antique  oak,  and  the  floors  are  mosaic  and  hard- 
wood.    The  stack  room  will  accommodate  65,000  volumes. 

The  movement  for  securing  a  public  library  in  the  city  of 

Johnstown  dates  back  to  February,  1901,  when  a  request  was 

made  of  Mr.  Carnegie  by  the  Board  of  Trade  to  pre- 

Johnstown.  .  .,  _  „    .  .  *  M  , 

sent  the  city  with  a  sum  of  money  sufficient  to  build 
a  suitable  library.  In  March  Mr.  Carnegie  offered  to  give 
$20,000  for  a  building  provided  the  city  would  furnish  a  site 
and  would  give  $2,500  a  year  to  maintain  the  library.  This 
offer  was  at  once  accepted  by  the  Board  of  Trade  and  the 
matter  was  presented  to  the  Common  Council.  A  Board  of 
Trustees  was  appointed  by  the  Mayor  and  a  resolution  adopted 
by  the  aldermen  providing  for  the  necessary  maintenance  by 
taxation.  Application  was  then  made  for  a  charter,  which  was 
granted  July  1,  1901. 

Directly  after  the  organization  of  the  Board  on  May  20,  1901, 
steps  were  taken  for  raising  funds  to  purchase  a  site,  and  owing  to 
the  generous  response  of  the  citizens  over  $6,000  was  raised  by 
the  first  of  November.  Upon  learning  of  the  amount  that  had 
been  raised  toward  purchasing  a  site,  Mr.  Carnegie  generously 
increased  his  first  offer  to  $25,000.  A  lot  was  purchased  on  the 
corner  of  Market  and  Clinton  streets  for  $5,250,  leaving  a  bal- 
ance fund  of  over  $750.  Fuller  and  Pitcher  of  Albany  were 
selected  as  architects  June  4,  1902,  the  building  to  be  com- 
pleted by  May  1,  1903.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  building 
was  completed  within  the  time  specified. 

92 


*5 


EAST   ORANGE,  NEW   JERSEY 


SHOWING  THE    RELATION   OF   THE   DELIVERY   DESK   TO  THE 
RADIATING   STACK 


SHOWING   INTERIOR   OF    LIBRARY    BUREAU    DELIVERY    I>ISK.   AND  THE 
ARRANGEMENT  OF   PILLARS   AND   Gl   VSS   SCREENS 


EASTERN    LIBRARIES 

The  building  is  in  French  renaissance  style,  one  story  in 
height,  with  a  high  basement  and  parapet.  It  is  constructed  of 
two  shades  of  buff  pressed  brick  with  terra  cotta  trimmings,  the 
foundation  being  of  Warsaw  blue  stone  and  Indiana  limestone, 
with  large  stone  pillars  on  either  side  of  the  entrance.  Above 
the  delivery-room  is  a  dome  eighteen  feet  in  diameter,  supported 
by  eight  pillars.  The  interior  is  finished  in  oak.  In  the  base- 
ment are  located  the  trustees'  room,  a  lecture  room  or  audi- 
torium, and  a  large  working  room.  The  stack  room  has  a 
capacity  of  35,000  volumes,  and  there  is  space  for  5,000  more 
volumes  in  the  reference  room. 

The  library  at  Amsterdam,  designed  by  the  same  architects, 
is  quite  similar  to  that  at  Johnstown.  The  main  differences  are 
due  to  the  location  of  the   librarian's  room  to  the    . 

Amsterdam. 

left  of  the  delivery  space  in  the  Amsterdam  library, 
while  in  the  Johnstown  library  it  is  to  the   left  of  the  stack 
room.     In  the  Amsterdam   plan  this  is  balanced  on  the  right 
by  a  flight  of  stairs  leading  to  the  auditorium  in  the  basement. 

The  plan  of  the  East  Orange  Public  Library  was  determined 
largely  by  the  shape  of  the  lot,  resulting,  however,  in  a  happy 
arrangement  of  rooms.     The  relative  position  of  the 

0  A  .  East  Orange. 

two  reading  rooms,  the  stack  room  and  the  delivery 
room  admit  of  ease  of  supervision,  because  of  the  fact  that  be- 
yond the  doors  of  the  vestibule  there  are  practically  no  internal 
walls  on  the  first  floor.  The  support  comes  from  columns  with 
glazed  screens  which  separate  one  room  from  another.  From 
the  vestibule,  flights  of  stairs  lead  to  the  basement,  where  there 
is  an  auditorium  running  under  the  entire  stack  room.  While 
the  auditorium  is  12  feet  high,  the  other  rooms  in  the  basement 
are  only  9  feet,  and  are  used  for  staff  room,  janitor's  room, 
repair  room  and  the  like.  The  delivery  room  on  the  main  floor 
is  a  curiously  shaped  four-sided  space  with  the  delivery  desk  in 
the  exact  centre  of  the  building.  This  gives  the  assistant  in 
charge  complete  control  of  the  various  rooms,  and  on  the  whole 
the  building  must  be  conceded  to  be  one  of  the  best  of  the 
corner  entrance  type  of  building  with  divergent  stack.  The 
total  cost  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  $50,000. 

In  addition  to  the  main  building,  Mr.  Carnegie  gave  East 
Orange  three  branch  libraries  costing  on  an  average  $13,000 
each.     The  Franklin  branch  is  an  attractive  little  building  on 

93 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

an  especially  fine  site,  designed  by  the  architects  of  the  main 
building,  Jardine,  Kent  &  Jardine.  It  is  a  one-room  library, 
with  not  quite  40  X  60  feet  of  floor  space,  one  end  of  which  is 
reserved  for  general  reading  and  reference  purposes,  while  the 
other  is  for  the  use  of  the  children.  There  is  a  small  stack  in 
the  back  of  the  room,  which  with  the  wall  shelving  will  accom- 
modate 10,000  volumes.  The  Elmwood  branch,  designed  by 
Mr.  Hobart  A.  Walker,  is  of  practically  the  same  dimensions  as 
the  Franklin  branch,  but  is  somewhat  different  in  design  and 
interior  arrangement. 

"  The  desirability  of  fiction  in  a  library,  its  use  and  justifica- 
tion," said  the  librarian  in  her  report  for  1907,  "  calls  for  dis- 
cussion from  time  to  time.  If  the  demand  for  more  solid 
reading  were  such  as  to  tax  the  full  resources  of  the  book-fund, 
a  public  library  would  be  justified  perhaps  in  buying  no  fiction 
but  such  as  the  test  of  time  included  as  literature.  It  would  be 
justified  if  a  city  were  justified  in  furnishing  only  technical 
schools  for  public  education.  But  as  a  city  must  educate  its 
children  before  they  are  prepared  to  enter  a  technical  school, 
so  the  library  should  first  supply  enjoyable  reading  to  those 
who  have  not  yet  learned  the  greater  fascination  of  books  about 
real  things  or  people.  The  development  of  the  reader  is  usually 
in  the  order  of  newspapers,  magazines,  novels,  books  on  special 
subjects.  Those  who  were  reading  only  novels  three  years  ago 
are  now  finding  other  books  interesting  also.  They  have  formed 
the  reading  and  library  habit  and  use  it  when  they  want  infor- 
mation. Had  they  not  formed  the  habit  of  going  to  the  library 
for  pleasure,  its  availability  for  serious  uses  might  not  have 
been  apparent.  There  is  now  no  restriction  upon  the  quantity  of 
books,  fiction  or  non-fiction,  that  a  person  may  take.  The 
percentage  of  fiction  will  probably  increase  in  consequence. 
Yet  the  use  of  fiction  is  justified,  for  East  Orange  people  very 
generally  use  the  library  for  their  fiction  which  they  read  but 
once,  and  do  not  care  to  own,  and  buy  books  which  they  wish 
to  keep.  This  is  a  legitimate  use  of  their  public  library,  for  it 
leaves  their  personal  book-funds  free  for  books  of  more  lasting 
value.  Many  persons  who  read  very  heavy  books  take  fiction 
for  resting.  Any  fiction  reader  will  absorb  two  or  three  novels 
in  the  time  that  it  would  take  another  to  read  one  book  of 
biography,  history  or  science." 


94 


Fm  i  ii;  ,v-  Pitcher,  Architects,  Albany 

JOHNSTOWN,  NEW   YORK 


JOHNSTOWN,  NEW    YORK 


AMS  I  ERDAM.  NEW  \ol<K 


CHAPTER    IX 

THE  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  OF  THE  DISTRICT  OF 
COLUMBIA 

History  of  the  Library  —  The  Work  Under  Way  —  Children's  Room, 
Lecture  Hall,  and  Study  Room  —  Reaching  out  among  the  People 
—  Plans  for  the  Future  — Remarks  of  President  Roosevelt 
and  Mr.  Carnegie  at  the  Dedication. 

"  ~W"  HAVE  been  asked  to  tell  something  of  the  undeveloped 
but  developing  work  of  the  public  library  of  the  District 

1  of  Columbia  as  an  organ  of  social  advance  in  the  National 
Capital,"  wrote  Mr.  George  F.  Bowerman,  the  librarian,  in 
Charities  and  the  Commons,  April  14,  1906.  "Students  of  social 
problems  of  course  class  the  public  library  with  the  public  school, 
for  the  keynote  of  its  work  is  educational.  However,  as  its  in- 
fluence as  an  educational  factor  is  not  limited  to  school  days, 
though  here  it  effectively  supplements  formal  instruction,  but  as 
it  offers  the  means  for  education  and  self-help  to  the  whole 
reading  population  throughout  life,  including  those  who  have 
never  spent  a  day  in  the  school-room,  it  should  be  regarded  as 
a  more  universal  means  of  social  amelioration  than  even  the 
public  school. 

"  Like  most  municipal  enterprises  in  Washington  dependent 
on  Congress,  in  which  the  citizens  of  the  district  have  no  repre- 
sentation, this  library  is  of  far  more  recent  origin  than  the 
public  libraries  of  most  other  progressive  American  munici- 
palities. Its  support  has  increased  by  the  slowest  increments, 
and  has  always  come  far  short  of  supplying  the  demands  of  a 
reading  public  rather  above  the  average  in  culture. 

"  The  statistics  of  libraries  have  credited  the  District  of 
Columbia  with  the  largest  book  supply  per  capita  in  the 
country.  But  to  have  so  many  thousands  of  books  at  the 
Library  of  Congress  and  in  the  department  libraries,  meant 
nothing  but  an  aggravation  to  the  average  citizen,  and  furnished 
an  excuse  for  many  years  to  Congress  to  be  deaf  to  the  appeals 
for  a  free  public  library.  At  last  the  special  report  of  the 
Washington  Board  of  Trade  calling  for  the  establishment  of  a 
municipal  public  library,  unanimously  adopted   in   1894,  bore 

95 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

fruit  in  the  act  of  June  3,  1896,  creating  the  public  library  of 
the  District  of  Columbia.  Two  years  later  the  12,000  volumes 
belonging  to  a  free  library  supported  by  private  subscriptions 
were  turned  over,  when  the  new  municipal  institution  received 
a  small  appropriation  for  running  expenses.  But  it  was  two 
years  more  before  Congress  made  any  appropriation  for  books. 

"  Congress  was  with  some  difficulty  induced  to  accept,  on 
terms  of  adequate  subsequent  support,  from  Mr.  Carnegie 
(who  furnishes  the  initial  incentive  to  so  many  municipalities 
in  this  field  of  endeavor),  a  central  library  building  costing 
$375,000.  On  the  occasion  of  the  dedication  of  this  building, 
which  by  the  way  has  served  as  a  model  for  many  other  library 
buildings  erected  through  Mr.  Carnegie's  gifts,  the  latter 
offered  $350,000  or  more  if  needed  for  the  erection  of  a  system 
of  branch  buildings.  Proposed  legislation  giving  the  library 
trustees  power  to  build  these  branches  gradually,  was  defeated 
in  Congress,  although  citizens  of  several  sections  of  the  district 
had  offered  not  only  free  sites,  but  numbers  of  books.  Although 
the  lack  of  branches  cuts  off  many  persons  in  a  widely  scattered 
city  from  library  privileges,  yet,  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
best  development  of  an  adequate  system,  the  postponement 
of  the  building  of  the  branches  may  well  wait  until  the  central 
library  is  properly  cared  for.  Of  course  one  defeat  from 
Congress  is  not  accepted  as  final.  Sooner  or  later  the  matter 
will  be  taken  up  again,  probably  with  a  proposition  to  authorize 
building  one  branch  at  a  time.  .  .  .  This  fiscal  year's  home 
circulation  will  reach  450,000,  from  a  stock  of  less  than 
80,000  volumes  and  with  a  total  appropriation  of  less  than 
$40,000.  Judging  from  the  experience  of  other  municipal- 
ities progressive  in  library  development,  the  home  circulation 
of  a  population  of  323,000  should  be  not  less  than  a  million, 
whereas,  if  means  such  as  no  municipality  has  yet  had  to 
develop  its  work  were  granted,  I  believe  it  would  be  possible 
to  have  a  home  circulation  here  of  from  2,000,000  to  5,000,000. 

"But  to  turn  from  our  handicaps  and  discouragements  to  the 
work  now  being  accomplished.  This  library's  first  work  is 
that  of  circulating  books  among  the  homes  of  the  people.  It 
of  course  does  reference  work,  for  school  children,  for  study 
club  women,  for  government  clerks,  for  mechanics  and  artisans 
who  come  evenings  and  Sundays ;  but  it  makes  no  effort  to 
rival  the  Library  of  Congress  or  the  department  libraries. 
In  fact  it  counts  itself  fortunate  that  it  is  relieved  of  advanced 
reference  work  for  the  scholar,  so  that  it  may  use  its  whole 
energy  for  the  average  man  and  woman.      Its  reference  room 

96 


LIBRARY    OF    DISTRICT    OF    COLUMBIA 

therefore,  contains  material  on  almost  every  subject  of  popular 
knowledge,  including  a  much  used  set  of  the  publications  of 
one  of  the  correspondence  schools.  This  is  also  duplicated  for 
home  use.  It  has  American  and  foreign  magazines,  especially 
many  technical  periodicals,  much  used  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
Washington  is  not  generally  considered  a  manufacturing  city. 

"The  library  building  was  unfortunately  built  with  restricted 
space  for  the  displaying  of  books  on  open  shelves.  When 
Congress  gives  sufficient  appropriations,  it  is  hoped  to  use  the 
largest  and  best  lighted  room  in  the  building  for  the  purpose  of 
offering  direct  access  to  the  cream  of  the  entire  library.  The 
limited  space  now  available  is  used  to  the  best  advantage  for 
displaying  in  succession  books  on  various  subjects.  Still 
further  to  facilitate  the  use  of  books,  to  relieve  the  necessity  of 
using  the  card  catalogue  on  the  part  of  the  uninitiated  or  timid, 
an  information  desk  has  been  established  near  the  main  en- 
trance. This  is  placed  in  charge  of  a  tactful  and  intelligent 
woman  who  acts  as  hostess  and  guide  to  all  and  especially  to 
first  visitors  to  the  library.  Does  the  visitor  not  know  how  to 
use  the  card  catalogue?  The  reader's  adviser  will  teach  him 
or  even  look  up  the  required  book  and  make  out  the  call  slips. 
Is  the  reader  hazy  about  the  subject  wanted?  The  adviser 
makes  a  shrewd  guess.  Does  he  want  just  '  something  to 
read'  for  himself  or  another?  The  adviser  exercises  her 
judgment  concerning  the  mental,  moral,  or  social  needs  and 
capacities  of  the  inquirer,  with  always  an  effort  to  improve  the 
quality  of  the  reading  wherever  possible,  to  supplant  a  good 
book  by  a  better  book. 

"Of  course  the  library  circulates  fiction  in  plenty.  Fiction  is 
the  dominant  form  of  literary  expression  to-day;  it  has  the 
most  universal  appeal ;  it  supplies  education  in  kindliness, 
gentleness,  good  manners ;  it  teaches  history  and  geography, 
ethics  and  aesthetics,  sociology  and  religion.  It  is  read  with 
avidity,  whereas  the  solider  book  taken  from  the  library  no 
doubt  often  lies  idle  and  unread  until  it  is  time  to  bring  it 
back.  It  affords  rest  and  refreshment  to  the  overdriven  men 
of  to-day.  Therefore  few  public  libraries  apologize  for  the 
fact  that  considerably  more  than  fifty  per  cent  of  their  circula- 
tion is  fiction.  To  be  sure,  it  must  be  good  fiction,  excluding 
machine-made  sensations  as  far  as  possible,  but  on  the  other 
hand  not  confining  the  books  offered  to  such  writers  as  Mrs. 
Ward,  Mr.  James,  and  Mrs.  Wharton,  —  books  whose  appeal  is 
chiefly  to  readers  having  considerable  cultivation. 

"  Although  such  a  large  part  of  the  circulation  is  fiction,  yet  fully 

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CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

eighty  per  cent  of  the  book  stock  is  composed  of  works  other 
than  fiction.  As  has  already  been  hinted,  Washington  readers 
have  good  taste  in  reading.  The  demand  for  the  best  in  history, 
biography,  travel,  essays,  and  art  history  is  large.  Duplication 
is  therefore  not  confined  to  fiction,  but  applies  also  to  other 
classes,  often  even  including  books  on  technical  subjects  such 
as  electricity,  building  construction,  and  stenography.  Still 
further  to  stimulate  the  use  of  books  other  than  fiction,  the 
library  has  compiled  for  free  distribution  selected  and  anno- 
tated lists  on  such  subjects  as  birds,  gardening,  interesting 
biographies,  summer  travel,  and  has  in  preparation  lists  on 
printing  (one  of  Washington's  most  important  industries), 
health  and  hygiene,  and  the  betterment  of  municipal  conditions. 
The  library  also  distributes  quantities  of  publishers'  lists,  adver- 
tising groups  of  books  in  the  library.  Every  week  a  list  of  the 
most  important  new  books  added  is  published  in  the  local 
newspapers.  To  these  lists  are  often  added  lists  on  special 
seasons  and  subjects;  for  example,  at  the  beginning  of  Lent 
there  was  published  a  list  of  books  for  Lenten  reading,  prepared 
by  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Bishop  of  Washington,  and  one  by 
a  professor  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Georgetown  University. 

"  One  of  the  most  important  phases  of  our  work  is  that  of  the 
children's  room.  This  is  in  charge  of  a  young  woman  who  is 
a  college  graduate  and  who  has  also  taken  the  course  at  the 
Training  School  for  Children's  Librarians  at  the  Carnegie 
Library  of  Pittsburg.  No  book  is  added  to  the  children's 
collection  until  it  has  been  carefully  read  by  her  in  order  to 
decide  upon  its  suitability.  The  hordes  of  children  who  come 
are  having  their  tastes  formed  in  accordance  with  the  best 
standards.  Teachers  and  parents  constantly  consult  the  chil- 
dren's librarian  as  to  the  best  reading  for  their  children.  The 
story  hour  and  colored  picture  books  for  the  youngest  children, 
and  the  reading  circle  for  those  older,  bulletin  boards  with 
pictures  and  lists  of  books  about  the  pictures,  are  all  used  as 
adjuncts  of  this  work.  The  local  Audubon  Society  also  has 
close  relations  with  the  library,  meets  regularly  in  the  lecture 
hall,  and  furnishes  lecturers  for  Saturday  morning  talks  to  young 
folks  on  birds.  Through  one  of  its  experts  in  the  Department 
of  Agriculture,  it  supplies  information  each  spring  concerning 
bird  migrations,  by  means  of  which  a  bulletin  board  showing 
colored   pictures  of  bird  arrivals  is  kept  up  to  date. 

"The  lecture  hall  proves  a  valuable  addition  to  the  regular 
work  of  the  library.  Thus  far  the  library  has  conducted  no  lec- 
tures of  its  own,  except  those  in  cooperation  with  the  Audubon 

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LIBRARY    OF    DISTRICT    OF   COLUMBIA 

Society.  However,  the  hall  during  the  winter  months  is  occa- 
sionally used  as  many  as  five  evenings  a  week,  by  the  regular 
weekly  free  lectures  given  under  the  auspices  of  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation and  by  numerous  organizations  which  conduct  lectures  of 
popular  interest  and  educational  tendency,  or  hold  meetings  in 
support  of  some  measure  or  reform.  For  example,  the  Associated 
Charities  recently  arranged  for  three  public  meetings,  devoted 
to  compulsory  education,  child  labor,  and  wife  desertion  and 
non-support  of  family.  Meetings  devoted  to  religious  subjects 
or  partisan  politics  have  been  excluded.  Lecture  auditors  of 
course  are  usually  led  to  be  users  of  the  library.  All  meetings 
are  free,  and  the  public  generally  is  invited. 

"The  library  also  has  a  study  room,  fitted  up  primarily  for 
staff  use,  but  used  by  many  small  organizations  who  resort  to 
the  library  collectively  to  carry  on  studies  with  the  aid  of  li- 
brary books.  Another  study  room  is  fitted  up  especially  for 
the  use  of  the  teachers  of  the  district, —  1,500  in  the  public 
schools  and  200  or  300  in  private  schools.  The  collection  of 
books  kept  here  includes  a  reference  library  containing  cyclo- 
pedias, dictionaries,  psychological  and  pedagogical  works  and 
text-books,  about  twenty  educational  periodicals  regularly  on 
file,  and  the  circulating  books  of  the  class  education  taken  from 
the  stack  and  shelved  in  the  room.  This  room  is  likewise  used 
by  the  teachers  for  committee  and  club  purposes. 

"  To  make  the  relation  of  public  library  and  schools  still  more 
close,  a  monthly  educational  bulletin  giving  new  educational 
accessions  and  educational  articles  in  current  periodicals  is 
issued  by  the  mimeograph  process  and  sent  to  all  the  public 
and  private  schools,  where  it  is  posted  on  their  bulletin  boards. 
The  librarian  and  the  children's  librarian  also  occasionally 
address  schools  or  classes.  A  beginning  has  been  made  at  the 
work  of  sending  out  books  to  schools  in  bulk.  Thus  far  this 
has  only  extended  to  the  high  schools  and  to  a  few  subjects. 
The  establishment  of  a  complete  system  by  which  every  school 
and  every  school  room,  especially  schools  most  remote  from 
the  library,  shall  be  practically  branches  for  the  circulation  of 
books,  a  plan  successful  in  several  other  places,  is  something 
to  be  looked  forward  to.  However,  by  means  of  the  ten  book 
privilege,  by  which  each  teacher  can  secure  ten  books  for  school 
use  in  addition  to  what  she  needs  for  her  own  reading,  the 
library  is  doing  something  to  introduce  the  library  idea  into 
the  minds  of  teachers  and  through  them  to  the  children,  even 
when  they  live  too  far  away  to  come  to  the  library.  Recently 
this  teachers'   privilege   idea  has  been  extended   so  that  any 

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CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

student  who  regularly  requires  several  books  at  a  time  may 
have  them. 

"  Another  reason  for  supplying  fiction  which  does  not  come  up 
to  classic  standards  is  that  thus  indirectly  the  library  is  able  to 
reach  the  children.  It  is  worth  while  to  bring  to  the  library 
the  woman  who  wants  books  by  E.  P.  Roe  and  Rosa  N.  Carey 
—  for  her  own  sake.  But  especially  is  it  important  to  get  her 
to  come  and  bring  her  children  in  order  that  the  library  may 
begin  early  to  influence  them,  mould  their  tastes,  and  win  them 
to  be  lifelong  library  users. 

"  The  only  active  movement  in  the  direction  of  branches  that 
the  library  has  thus  far  been  able  to  make  is  to  meet  the 
requests  for  books  that  have  come  from  five  social  settlements, 
including  one  colored  settlement.  To  establish  these  stations 
involves  only  the  purchase  of  200  or  300  books  and  a  few 
supplies  for  each.  The  work  of  opening  them  two  or  three 
afternoons  or  evenings  a  week,  and  of  circulating  about  200  or 
300  books  a  month  from  each,  has  been  done  entirely  by  volun- 
teers. In  several  cases  those  volunteers  have  been  overworked 
and  underpaid  members  of  the  library's  regular  staff,  —  such  is 
the  spirit  of  service  among  librarians.  The  users  of  these 
stations  are  mostly  children,  as  there  is  no  money  with  which  to 
buy  adult  books  and  no  room  for  adult  readers. 

"  Besides  the  calls  for  the  building  of  the  complete  system  of 
branches  the  library  has  received  several  requests  to  establish 
deposit  stations  in  the  various  government  departments  and 
offices.  Department  libraries  should  properly  be  confined  to 
reference  books.  The  supplying  of  popular  books  is  the  proper 
work  of  the  public  library,  and  given  the  means,  such  stations 
could  be  conducted  and  would  greatly  facilitate  the  access  of 
government  clerks  to  books  for  themselves  and  their  families. 

"  The  hampering  financial  conditions  already  so  often  men- 
tioned have  thus  far  prevented  the  opening  of  the  library  at 
8.30  A.  M.,  so  that  government  clerks  and  business  men  might 
return  their  books  on  their  way  to  their  offices.  The  library 
is  open,  however,  from  10  A.  M.  to  9  P.  M.  for  the  return  and 
delivery  of  books  and  its  reading  room  is  open  until  10  p.  M. 
The  last  Congress  also  made  possible  the  long-sought  boon  of 
opening  the  library  on  Sundays  from  2  to  10  P.  M.  for  reference 
and  registration,  but  not  for  home  circulation.  This  is  much 
appreciated  by  many  persons  who  are  too  fatigued  to  come  on 
week  day  evenings.  Such  men  now  come,  learn  about  the 
library,  secure  borrowers'  privileges  and  have  their  wives  and 
children  draw  books  for  them. 

IOO 


First  Floor 


:    '■    I 


B  VSI  Ml  N  i 

WASHINGTON,    D.   C. 


WASHINGTON,    I).    C. 


A   LINE   AT   THE    RETURN    DESK 


YOUNG   PEOPLE'S   ROOM 


TRAVELLINl 


LIBRARY    WAGON    FROM   THE  WASHINGTON   COUNTY 
LIBRARY,    HAGERSTOWN,    MARYLAND 


LIBRARY    OF    DISTRICT    OF    COLUMBIA 

"  A  recent  critic  of  public  libraries  has  charged  that  most  of 
them  are  so  conducted  that  they  appeal  only  to  women,  children, 
and  idlers  among  men,  and  has  made  an  appeal  for  '  libraries 
for  men.'  Of  course  the  use  of  any  library  does  presuppose  at 
least  a  certain  minimum  of  leisure  from  other  employment. 
The  critic  charged  that  most  libraries  had  nothing  or  next  to 
nothing  that  a  wide-awake,  up-to-date,  work-a-day  man  wanted. 
This  criticism,  made  in  a  widely  circulated  journal  and  copied 
by  technical  library  publications,  has  been  deeply  pondered 
by  librarians,  who  have  been  examining  themselves  and  their 
libraries  to  see  whether  the  criticism  is  just.  I  believe  that  the 
workings  of  this  library,  as  set  forth  in  this  account,  will  show 
that  it  has  sufficient  breadth  of  appeal,  sufficiently  extended 
hours  of  opening,  sufficient  scope  in  its  collection  both  for 
circulation  and  reference,  so  that  the  motto  carved  on  the 
building,  '  a  university  for  the  people,'  is  true,  so  that  it  is 
indeed  a  library  for  mankind." 

In  January,  1899,  Mr.  Carnegie  offered  $250,000  for  a  suitable 
home  for  the  Public  Library  of  the  District  of  Columbia.  On 
March  3rd,  a  law  was  passed  authorizing  the  erection  of  the 
building  upon  a  designated  site  in  Mount  Vernon  Square.  The 
conditions  of  an  architectural  competition  were  drawn  up  by 
the  library  commission  in  conjunction  with  George  B.  Post  and 
Henry  Van  Brunt  as  consulting  architects.  On  July  18th  the 
plans  of  Ackerman  &  Ross  of  New  York  were  selected  from 
among  the  twenty-four  designs  submitted.  The  building  runs  east 
and  west,  is  224  feet  long,  and  112  feet  deep,  and  is  well  propor- 
tioned to  the  site.  The  building  is  placed  nearer  to  the  north  line 
of  the  lot  so  as  to  allow  of  an  imposing  approach  from  the  south 
and  also  to  enhance  the  architectural  features  of  the  facade.  The 
main  entrance  leads  directly  to  the  delivery  room,  where  there  is 
a  counter  so  arranged  as  to  attract  immediate  attention.  Around 
the  delivery  counter  are  work-rooms,  and  beyond  these  are  the 
book  stacks,  forming  the  northern  wing  of  the  building.  The 
stacks  are  five  tiers  high,  running  up  to  the  full  height  of  the 
building,  and  have  a  capacity  of  250,000  volumes.  In  addition 
to  this  the  open  shelves  in  the  various  rooms  will  accommodate 
over  20,000  additional  volumes.  The  stack  is  capable  of  exten- 
sion without  interfering  seriously  with  the  architectural  effect  of 
the  whole. 

The  library  was  erected  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Bernard 

IOI 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

R.  Green,  Superintendent  of  the  Library  of  Congress.  In  April, 
1899,  Mr.  Carnegie  increased  his  gift  by  $50,000  in  order  to  cover 
the  cost  of  furniture  and  equipment,  architects'  fees  and  other  in- 
cidental expenses,  and  in  September  of  the  same  year  he  made  an 
additional  donation  of  $50,000  to  meet  an  extraordinary  increase 
in  the  cost  of  building  materials,  which  threatened  to  prevent 
the  execution  of  the  accepted  design  with  the  money  available. 
The  building  was  formally  dedicated  January  7,  1903,  and 
among  the  addresses  was  one  by  President  Roosevelt,  who  said 
in  part: 

"  I  count  myself  fortunate  in  being  able  to  come  here  today, 
not  only  for  my  own  private  indiv'dual  sake,  but  as  in  some  sort 
representing  the  people  of  all  the  country,  to  express  my  pro- 
found appreciation  of  what  is  emphatically  a  gift  of  wisdom,  a 
gift  to  do  the  utmost  possible  benefit  to  all  of  the  people  of  this 
country.  .  .  I  have  come  because  I  feel  that  the  movement  for 
securing  better  facilities  for  self-training,  better  facilities  for  edu- 
cation in  its  widest  and  broadest  and  deepest  sense,  is  one  of 
such  prime  importance  that  the  President  of  the  United  States 
could  nowhere  more  appropriately  come  than  to  this  building, 
at  this  time." 

Mr.  Carnegie  gave  some  account  of  his  interest  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  free  public  libraries,  and  spoke  in  part  as  follows : 

"  In  my  first  public  address  made  to  our  young  men  in  Pitts- 
burg—  how  many  years  ago  I  need  not  mention  —  I  told  them 
to  put  all  their  eggs  in  one  basket  and  then  watch  that  basket. 
I  have  been  a  concentrator  all  my  life.  I  have  seldom  or  never 
known  a  great  success  made  by  the  jack-of-all-trades,  the  board 
member  in  twenty  companies,  the  controller  of  none.  I  am  in 
the  library  manufacturing  business,  and  beg  to  be  allowed  to 
concentrate  my  time  upon  it  until  it  is  filled.  If  ever  it  is  filled 
I  shall,  of  course,  have  to  look  out  for  other  employment.  That 
day,  however,  as  you  see,  seems  somewhat  remote.  As  long  as 
communities  are  willing,  as  you  are  in  Washington,  to  maintain 
a  library  from  the  proceeds  of  taxation,  as  part  of  the  city's  edu- 
cational system,  thus  making  it  the  library  of  the  people  and  an 
adjunct  of  the  public  school  system,  so  long  I  intend  to  labor  in 
that  vineyard,  keeping  myself  as  free  as  possible  from  hearing  of 
the  woes  and  wants  of  humanity  in  general,  to  which,  if  I  listened, 
I  would  soon  become  unfit  for  my  special  work,  which  I  think 
best  of  all,  for  among  all  the  suggestions  made  —  and  they  are 

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LIBRARY   OF    DISTRICT    OF    COLUMBIA 

numberless  —  not  one  have  I  found  which,  to  my  mind,  equals 
the  free  library  maintained  by  the  people  as  a  field  for  the  wise 
distribution  of  surplus  wealth.  I  think  it  fruitful  in  the  extreme, 
because  the  library  gives  nothing  for  nothing,  because  it  helps 
only  those  that  help  themselves,  because  it  does  not  sap  the 
foundation  of  manly  independence,  because  it  does  not  pauper- 
ize, because  it  stretches  a  hand  to  the  aspiring  and  places  a  lad- 
der upon  which  they  can  only  ascend  by  doing  the  climbing 
themselves.  You  cannot  boost  a  man  up  a  ladder  !  This  is  not 
charity,  this  is  not  philanthropy ;  it  is  the  people  themselves 
helping  themselves  by  taxing  themselves.  They  owe  no  man 
anything  of  moment." 


103 


CHAPTER   X 

THE   SOUTH 

The  Traveling  Library  of  Hagerstown,  Md.  —  Carnegie  Library  of 
Atlanta,  Ga.  —  Nashville  and  Chattanooga,  Tenn. —  Norfolk,  Va.  -~ 
Tuskegee,  Ala.  —  Jacksonville,  Fla. 

THE  Washington  County  Free  Library  at  Hagerstown, 
Maryland,  has  frequently  been  wrongly  listed  and 
spoken  of  as  a  Carnegie  library.  Thus,  for  example, 
Mr.  Isaac  F.  Marcosson,  in  his  article  on  "  Giving  Carnegie 
Libraries"  in  the  World's  Work  for  April,  1905,  unfortunately 
chose  to  describe  the  Hagerstown  library  as  an  excep- 
tionally interesting  type  of  Carnegie  library.  The 
fact  is  that  the  library  owes  its  establishment  to  a  gift  of  $50,000 
from  the  late  Mr.  B.  F.  Newcomer  of  Baltimore,  and  was  in 
operation  for  several  years  before  Mr.  Carnegie's  attention  was 
called  to  the  method  of  free  rural  delivery  operated  by  this 
library.  Mr.  Carnegie  said  that  he  thought  that  the  Hagers- 
town people  "  had  got  hold  of  the  right  end  of  traveling  library 
work,"  and  he  gave  them  $25,000  to  be  expended  in  developing 
this  branch  of  library  extension.  To  show  to  what  good  pur- 
pose this  money  has  been  expended,  I  give  an  extract1  from  an 
address  delivered  before  the  Pennsylvania  Library  Club  by  the 
librarian  in  charge,  Miss  Mary  L.  Titcomb : 

"  The  founders  had  the  rather  uncommon  wisdom  and  com- 
mon sense  to  seize  upon  the  idea  that  in  a  section  where  the 
county  was  the  unit  of  government  the  library  would  properly 
be  for  that  same  unit.  The  people  did  not  want  a  library  at 
all,  but  finally  a  bill  went  through  the  legislature  authorizing 
the  appropriation  of  an  annual  sum  for  its  support  from  both 
county  and  city.  .   .  . 

"  When  I  speak  of  antagonism  I  mean  that  the  country  peo- 
ple, never  having  come  in  contact  with  a  library,  had  no  idea 
that  it  would  ever  affect  them  further  than  to  raise  the  tax  rate. 
They  thought  the  professional  class  who  lived  in  the  city  were 

1  For  the  full  address  see  the  Library  Journal,  February,  iyo6. 
104 


THE    SOUTH 

the  only  class  who  would  reap  any  benefit  from  it.  In  passing, 
it  may  also  be  said  that  in  addition  to  antagonism  we  had  also 
to  contend  with  unconsciousness  of  our  existence.  After  the 
lapse  of  a  year  even,  it  was  possible  to  find  individuals  who  had 
never  heard  of  the  library. 

"  The  county  is  divided  into  26  voting  districts,  and  for  the 
first  year  we  turned  our  attention  to  these  districts,  planning  to 
put  a  station  in  each.  We  found  that  very  easy,  almost  too 
easy,  considering  the  limited  number  of  books  at  our  command. 
Our  plan  had  nothing  original.  It  was  simply  the  obvious  one 
of  deposit  stations,  consisting  of  a  case  similar  to  the  usual 
traveling  library  case  and  holding  about  fifty  volumes  to  be 
returned  for  renewal  every  60  or  90  days,  all  expenses  of  trans- 
portation, etc.,  to  be  paid  by  the  library.  We  have  a  blank  re- 
quiring a  certain  number  of  signatures  and  guarantee  of  care,  etc., 
but  the  filling  of  this  is  often  more  honored  in  the  breach  than 
in  the  observance.  If  we  find  that  getting  it  filled  is  going  to 
stop  the  putting  the  books  at  a  certain  place,  we  waive  it.  The 
object  is  to  get  books  into  the  country  in  what  we  judge  to  be 
suitable  places  and  under  suitable  care,  more  often  in  the  gen- 
eral store  or  post-office  than  anywhere  else.  We  do  not  put 
the  stations  at  a  private  house  unless  we  can  find  no  one  in- 
terested in  any  public  place. 

"  During  the  first  year  we  placed  23  deposit  stations  in  as 
many  voting  districts.  During  the  second  year  we  added  15  to 
the  number  of  our  stations.  Most  of  these  stations  were  placed 
in  smaller  and  more  remote  places  than  in  the  previous  year. 
That  second  year  we  began  to  send  our  Sunday-school  collec- 
tions to  places  in  the  country.  We  limit  the  Sunday-school 
libraries  to  places  where  there  is  a  church  with  no  settled  preach- 
ing, which  maintains  a  Sunday-school,  or  where,  as  is  often  the 
case,  there  is  a  neighborhood  Sunday-school  carried  on  for  six 
months  of  the  year,  at  a  season  when  the  roads  are  good,  and 
the  people  can  get  together  comfortably.  We  make  no  effort 
to  put  Sunday-school  literature,  so  called,  into  these  cases,  which 
hold  about  30  books  and  are  really  traveling  libraries  staying  at 
one  place  for  six  months,  and  then  being  sent  on  to  another. 
Our  intention  is  to  select  books  of  some  real  literary  merit  and 
which  shall  have  a  certain  ethical  influence.  At  the  present 
time  we  have  twelve  Sunday-school  collections  traveling  back 
and  forth  through  the  county. 

"  During  the  third  year  of  our  existence  we  increased  the 
number  of  deposit  stations  to  55,  and  at  the  present  time  we 
have  66  stations  in  as  many  places.     By  these  deposit  stations 

105 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

sufficient  interest  has  been  aroused  in  two  incorporated  villages 
in  the  county  to  establish  permanent  reading  rooms.  The  peo- 
ple have  come  together,  organized  and  canvassed  the  town  for 
subscriptions,  hired  rooms,  and  engaged  some  one  to  act  as 
caretaker  and  librarian ;  and  so  in  Boonsboro  and  Williamsport, 
places  of  about  800  and  1,000  inhabitants  respectively,  we  have 
rooms  open  every  day  to  the  public,  with  periodicals,  etc.,  to 
make  them  attractive.  With  these  reading  rooms,  our  plan  has 
been  to  buy  immediately  for  them  two  or  three  hundred  volumes 
which  we  send  as  a  nucleus,  and  after  that  we  have  an  exchange 
of  about  40  volumes  every  ten  days,  the  person  who  has  charge 
sending  back  the  books  which  in  her  judgment  have  been  suffi- 
ciently read,  or  which  perhaps  she  sees  will  not  be  read  at  all. 

"  Of  our  66  stations  in  the  county,  about  30  are  off  the  line 
of  railroad,  trolley,  or  stage,  and  after  the  first  year  of  our  exist- 
ence it  was  found  that  the  best  way  to  get  at  these  remote  dis- 
tricts was  to  have  our  janitor  make  frequent  trips  into  the 
country,  taking  with  him  cases  of  books  to  these  stations  and 
bringing  back  others  to  be  exchanged  for  fresh  ones.  And  this 
led  to  our  library  wagon,  by  far  the  most  interesting  feature  of 
our  county  extension.  Here  let  me  say  for  the  benefit  of  any 
librarian  who  is  meditating  book  delivery  by  means  of  a  wagon, 
first,  catch  your  janitor.  Ours  is  a  jewel.  We  are  quite  con- 
vinced that  he  can  do  more  for  the  advancement  of  learning  in 
the  county  than  the  whole  board  of  trustees  and  the  library 
staff  combined.  He  is  a  native  of  the  county,  as  a  boy  having 
witnessed  John  Brown's  raid  at  Harper's  Ferry,  afterwards  serv- 
ing his  time  in  the  Civil  War,  and  later  on,  after  various  occu- 
pations which  gave  him  a  wide  knowledge  of  the  people  of  the 
county,  coming  to  us,  and  now  the  library  has  no  more  loyal  or 
interested  officer.  When  we  found  that  we  must  send  him  out 
into  the  country,  both  for  the  placing  of  the  stations  and  for  the 
collecting  and  returning  of  many  of  them,  we  provided  him  with 
an  understudy  and  sent  him  forth.  In  April,  1905,  our  wagon 
was  completed,  and  since  then  he  has  made  all  the  trips  with 
that.  I  am  often  asked  if  I  go  into  the  county  and  visit  the 
stations,  or  go  out  with  the  book  wagon.  No ;  for  as  long  as  I 
have  some  one  to  send,  who  is  a  native  of  the  county,  who 
knows  all  the  people  with  their  prejudices  and  customs,  it  is 
much  better  for  me  not  to  go.  Walter  H.  Page,  editor  of  the 
World's  Work,  and  himself  a  Southerner,  once  told  me  that  I 
need  never  expect  to  accomplish  anything  in  a  Southern  com- 
munity until  I  had  found  out  when  the  baby  had  cut  its  last 
tooth  ;   and  this  is  just  what  our  janitor  does  for  us.     He  drives 

106 


THE   SOUTH 

up  to  the  farmhouse  doors,  through  the  country  lanes,  and 
talks  things  over  slowly  and  quietly.  In  most  cases  he  knows 
the  character  of  the  household  to  which  he  goes,  knows  whether 
the  woman  of  the  house  is  the  person  most  likely  to  be  inter- 
ested, or  whether  the  man  is  the  person  to  whom  to  appeal. 

"  The  book  wagon  used  in  these  trips  is  illustrated  elsewhere. 
It  is  built  with  shelves  on  each  side,  with  doors  opening  out- 
ward, very  much  after  the  fashion  of  the  tin-peddler's  cart  of 
early  days.  It  will  hold  about  300  volumes,  and  in  addition  is 
so  arranged  that  in  the  centre  may  be  carried  six  of  the  cases 
used  at  the  stations.  We  paid  $175  for  the  wagon.  It  is 
arranged  for  one  or  two  horses,  but  thus  far  we  have  found  that 
two  horses  have  been  necessary  for  most  of  our  trips.  We  do  not 
own  the  horses,  but  depend  upon  the  livery  stable  for  them.  In 
the  busiest  season  with  this  work,  namely,  spring  and  fall,  we 
have  made  on  an  average  three  trips  a  week,  each  trip  covering 
about  30  miles.  Sometimes  our  man  goes  off  into  the  remoter 
portions  of  the  county  for  three  days,  consuming  one  day  going, 
one  day  distributing  books,  and  one  for  the  return.  We  use 
the  Browne  charging  system  in  the  library,  and  when  he  delivers 
a  book  he  pencils  on  the  back  of  the  book  slip  the  name  of  the 
person  borrowing  it  and  the  rural  free  delivery  number  or  some 
other  note  which  identifies  the  person  in  his  mind.  When  he 
returns,  the  slips  are  sorted  and  then  arranged  by  classes  under 
a  route  heading,  as  Yarrowsburgh  route,  New  Hope  route,  etc., 
with  the  date  when  the  trip  was  made.  These  slips  are  then 
filed  alphabetically  by  routes  with  the  slips  belonging  to  the 
books  which  are  in  circulation  at  the  various  stations.  Our 
man  takes  with  him  also  a  blank  in  which  he  keeps  requests  for 
special  books,  and  other  memoranda.  .  .  . 

"  From  the  first  the  people  took  to  this  innovation,  it  being 
an  outward  and  visible  sign  that  the  library  really  did  belong  to 
them;  but  of  course  there  are  varied  experiences.  Great  care 
is  necessary  in  the  selection  of  books  for  the  wagon,  and  already 
I  have  learned  to  keep  my  finger  on  the  intellectual  pulse.  It 
varies  greatly  in  different  parts  of  the  county,  but  nowhere  is 
one  troubled  by  the  demand  for  the  '  best  seller,'  and  in  gen- 
eral the  books  selected  from  the  shelves  of  the  wagon  are  those 
of  the  greatest  intrinsic  worth." 

To  Atlanta,  the  centre  of  library  activity  in  the  southeast,  be- 
longs   the    distinction    of   establishing   the    first  free 
circulating  library,  supported  by  the   people,  in  the 
State  of  Georgia.      The  history  of  this  movement,  which   in- 

107 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

eluded  the  combining  of  the  property  of  the  Young  Men's 
Library  Association  with  the  $125,000  bequest  by  Andrew 
Carnegie  and  the  annual  appropriation  of  $5,000  from  the  city 
council,  is  told  by  Miss  Anne  Wallace,  then  librarian,  in  the  first 
annual  report  of  the  Carnegie  Library  of  Atlanta: 

"  The  Young  Men's  Library  Association,  which  was  organized 
in  1867,  had  for  thirty  years  struggled  to  maintain  a  public 
library  for  the  city.  Without  endowment  and  without  municipal 
aid,  the  association  was  crippled  in  its  endeavors ;  yet,  by  the 
individual  effort  of  its  directors  and  members,  property  to  the 
amount  of  $100,000  had  been  accumulated.  Realizing  that 
the  day  of  the  subscription  library  was  over,  the  directors  tried 
to  devise  some  plan  to  make  the  library  free  to  the  citizens  of 
Atlanta.  About  this  time,  Mr.  Walter  M.  Kelley,  who  was  an 
active  member  of  the  directory,  succeeded  in  interesting  Mr. 
Andrew  Carnegie  in  the  efforts  of  the  directory  to  make  the 
library  free.  Mr.  Carnegie,  with  characteristic  generosity,  of- 
fered to  give  the  city  $100,000  to  build  a  new  library  if  the  city 
would  furnish  a  site  and  guarantee  $5,000  a  year  for  its  support. 
Later,  Mr.  Carnegie  gave  $25,000  to  the  building  fund.  The 
directors  of  the  library  and  the  members  took  this  opportunity 
of  offering  to  the  city  the  entire  property  of  the  association  and 
to  furnish  a  site  for  the  new  library.  This  happy  combination 
was  consummated  in  due  course  of  time,  and  was  characterized 
by  freedom  from  political  intrigue,  and  the  new  organization  was 
duly  effected  May  6,  1889,  just  three  months  after  Mr.  Carnegie's 
offer.  Soon  thereafter  the  plans  for  reorganization  of  the  library 
were  presented  by  the  librarian  and  the  several  departments  of 
the  library  were  organized." 

The  building  committee  secured  a  central  and  beautifully  lo- 
cated lot  on  the  corner  of  Church  and  Forsyth  streets.  The 
plans  for  the  building  were  chosen  in  competition,  limited  to 
nine  invited  architects  to  whom  tentative  plans  were  furnished. 
Eight  plans  were  submitted,  and  in  December,  1899,  the  special 
jury  of  award,  consisting  of  the  president,  Mr.  W.  M.  Kelley, 
the  librarian,  Miss  Wallace,  and  the  supervising  architect,  Mr.  J. 
H.  Dinwiddie,  selected  the  designs  of  Ackerman  &  Ross,  New 
York.  The  library,  which  was  opened  to  the  public  on  May  28, 
1902,  is  similar  in  style  to  that  designed  by  the  same  architects 
for  the  Public  Library  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  being  of  the 
conventionalized  Ionic  order,  with  classic  ornamentation.     As 

1 08 


MARHI.E    BUST   OF   ANDREW 
LIBRARY   OF    A  I  I. AN  I  A. 


CARNEGIE   PRESENTED   TO   THE   CARNEGIE 
GEORC.IA,    BY   THE   SCHOOL  CHILDREN 
OF   THAI'   CITY 


Phi  ito.  by  Library  Bureau 

CHILDREN'S    ROOM,    CARNEGIE    LIBRARY,   ATLANTA 


CARNEGIE  TRAVELLING    LIBRARIES  CARRIED    BY    ["HE 
- 1    \l:<  IARD   AIR    LINE 


THE    SOUTH 

in  the  Washington  building,  the  lines  of  the  library  are  graceful 
and  pleasing,  but  there  is  perhaps  too  much  subordination  of 
utility  to  architectural  style.  The  main  hall  gives  access  to  all 
rooms  on  the  first  floor  save  the  stack-room,  and  to  a  handsome 
central  staircase  which  is  the  chief  architectural  feature  of  the 
interior.  The  main  building,  which  is  three  stories  high,  has  a 
frontage  of  116  feet,  and  a  depth  of  64  feet;  projecting  from  the 
side  to  the  right  is  the  building  for  the  bookstack,  18  feet  wide 
and  56  feet  deep,  set  back  5  feet  from  the  line  of  frontage.1 

The  basement  (10  feet,  6  inches  in  height)  is  reached  either 
from  a  small  back  entrance  or  from  the  staircase  leading  from  the 
main  entrance  hall  on  the  first  floor.  The  children's  room  ex- 
tends across  the  whole  of  the  west  side.  It  is  33  feet,  6  inches 
X  58  feet,  and  well  lighted  on  three  sides.  It  is  divided  in  two 
by  a  passage  8  feet  wide,  leading  to  the  attendant's  desk ;  either 
side  of  the  passage  are  railings  2  feet,  6  inches  high,  having  gates 
in  them  next  the  attendant's  desk,  so  that  each  child  entering  or 
leaving  is  well  under  control.  Each  of  these  rooms  has  six 
tables,  seating  four  readers  each  —  tables  vary  in  shape  and 
height.  The  sizes  are  as  follows :  tables,  3  feet  6  inches  diam- 
eter, 1  foot,  10  inches  high;  chairs,  1  foot,  2  inches  high.  Tables, 
3  feet  X  5  feet,  2  feet,  4  inches  high ;  chairs,  1  foot,  4!  inches 
high.  Tables,  3  feet,  6  inches  in  diameter,  2  feet,  6  inches  high ; 
chairs,  I  foot,  5^  inches  high. 

Seats,  7  feet  wide  and  1  foot,  4  inches  high,  are  fitted  into 
each  of  the  windows.  The  catalogue-files  are  placed  on  either 
side  of  the  attendant's  desk.  Specimen-cases  with  glazed  doors, 
bulletin-boards  with  portfolios  under,  and  shelving  8  inches 
deep,  are  placed  to  a  height  of  6  feet,  6  inches  between  the  win- 
dows, as  well  as  on  the  east  wall.  In  a  similar  position  on  the 
east  side  is  the  work-room.  It  is  33  feet,  6  inches  x  58  feet, 
lighted  on  two  sides,  north  and  south,  and  a  central  opening 
from  it  enters  directly  into  the  stack-room,  the  floor  of  which  is 
up  six  steps.  This  latter  room  is  17  feet  X  52  feet.  The  stacks 
are  well  arranged  and  lighted,  and  will  take  on  each  floor  ap- 
proximately 17,220  books.  Two  lifts  with  a  table  between,  and 
a  staircase  to  the  upper  floors,  are  grouped  together,  and  near 
at  hand  a  toilet-room  is  provided  for  the  staff".     There  are  alto- 

1  The  description  of  the  building  is  condensed  from  a  paper  by  Sidney  K.  Green- 
slade,  read  before  the  Royal  Institute  of  British  Architects,  March  17,  1902. 

I C9 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

gether  four  floors  of  stacks,  each  7  feet,  6  inches  in  height.  The 
stacks  themselves  are  especially  well  arranged,  with  generous 
aisles. 

On  the  first-floor  plan  the  hall  is  placed  right  in  the  centre  of 
the  building,  and  is  reached  directly  from  the  entrance  vestibule. 
It  is  42  feet  X  20  feet.  The  main  staircase  opens  directly  out 
of  it  on  the  north  side.  To  the  left  is  the  magazine-room,  and 
to  the  right  the  delivery-room.  The  four  smaller  rooms  that 
open  from  the  hall  are  placed  on  either  side  of  the  staircase  and 
vestibule;  they  average  about  11  feet  X  17  feet,  6  inches,  and 
are  used  as  special  study-rooms  and  for  the  medical  library. 
Each  of  these  rooms  is  provided  with  a  table  3  feet  X  8  feet, 
and  2  feet,  6  inches  high,  and  shelving  to  walls  6  feet,  6  inches 
high.  The  medical  library  shelving  has  glazed  doors  and  a 
magazine  rack  beneath  the  window.  The  delivery-space  is  22 
feet  X  20  feet  wide,  the  latter  width  being  the  length  of  delivery- 
counter  to  the  public.  It  has  in  it  the  cases  for  the  card  catalogue 
and  two  tables,  6  feet  X  2  feet,  for  its  use.  On  each  side  of  this 
delivery  space  two  rooms  are  set  apart  for  open  shelves.  They 
are  divided  by  railings  2  feet,  6  inches  high,  fitted  with  gates, 
and  are  each  25  feet  X  18  feet,  6  inches.  The  counter  is  3  feet 
wide,  2  feet,  10  inches  high,  fitted  towards  attendant's  desk  with 
drawers,  cupboards  and  shelves.  There  is  a  working-space  of 
12  feet  X  18  feet,  with  table  for  the  attendant,  and  behind  it  is 
the  opening  to  the  stack-room,  being  the  full  length  of  the 
working-space.  The  stack-room  is  also  approached  from  each 
of  the  open-shelf  rooms;  it  is  arranged  practically  as  the  floor 
below  —  two  lavatory  basins  for  public  use  taking  the  place  of 
the  staff  toilet. 

The  magazine  room  is  the  same  size,  33  feet,  6  inches  X  58 
feet,  as  the  children's  room  below  it,  and  the  windows  are  placed 
on  the  three  sides  in  a  similar  manner.  The  attendant's  enclos- 
ure with  desk  is  placed  directly  opposite  the  entrance.  It  is 
about  9  feet  X  9  feet,  with  a  panelled  railing  2  feet,  6  inches 
high  enclosing  it,  and  having  a  gate  opening  into  either  side  of 
the  room.  There  are  eight  tables,  3  feet  X  8  feet,  2  feet,  6  inches 
high,  each  having  six  chairs,  I  foot,  5I  inches  high ;  and  in  the 
centre  of  the  room,  opposite  the  attendant's  desk,  is  a  circular 
table  6  feet  in  diameter,  seating  eight  readers.  Seats  are  pro- 
vided in  the  window-openings,  and  along  the  front  wall  there  is 

no 


THE   SOUTH 

a  standing  newspaper  desk  25  feet  long.  Shelving  8  inches 
deep  and  roller-shelving  2  feet  deep  by  6  feet  high,  occupy 
the  remaining  wall-spaces.  Here  are  kept  the  bound  volumes 
of  the  magazines  and  the  current  files  of  all  the  weekly  and 
monthly  periodicals. 

On  the  second  floor  the  reference-room  is  placed  over  the 
open-shelf  room  and  delivery-space.  It  is  33  feet,  6  inches  X 
58  feet,  and  has  the  attendant's  desk  exactly  opposite  the  en- 
trance, and  opening  out  of  what  will  be  one  day  the  top  floor  of 
the  stack. 

The  rooms  for  the  librarian  are  placed  in  the  centre  of  the 
building,  — to  the  front  a  public  office  21  feet  X  18  feet,  and  a 
private  office,  17  feet,  6  inches  x  10  feet,  6  inches.  Opposite, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  upper  hall,  are  placed  the  women's 
toilet  and  staff  room.  The  latter  is  fitted  with  ten  14-inch  X 
16-inch  X  6  feet,  6-inch  lockers,  with  6-inch  drawers  at  bottom 
and  shelf  at  top.  There  are  also  a  sink  and  a  marble-topped 
table  adjoining,  with  small  gas  stoves. 

The  large  room  in  another  wing  over  the  magazine  room,  and 
of  the  same  size,  is  fitted  as  a  lecture-hall.  This  room  will,  ac- 
cording to  the  librarian's  report,  "  eventually  become  the  main 
reading  room  of  the  library,  with  shelving  capacity  for  5,000 
volumes,  specially  selected." 

The  compactness  of  the  plan  is  very  marked,  and  it  is  of  its 
type  an  excellent  example.  Since  the  completion  and  occupa- 
tion of  the  building,  Mr.  Carnegie  has  signalized  his  interest  in 
this  library  by  furnishing  the  means  for  establishing  within  its 
walls  the  Southern  Library  School,  which  began  its  first  year  in 
the  fall  of  1905.  Still  more  recently  he  has  given  the  city  of 
Atlanta  money  for  two  branch  libraries. 

At  the  head  of  the  stairway  stands  a  bust  of  Mr.  Carnegie  by 
Chevalier  Trentanove,  a  sculptor  of  international  reputation, 
who  has  studios  both  in  Florence,  Italy,  and  Washington,  D.  C. 
The  bust  is  the  gift  of  the  grateful  citizens  of  Atlanta,  and  its 
purchase  was  made  possible  by  the  existence  of  a  fund  for  which 
Mrs.  Wm.  Lawson  Peel  was  largely  responsible.  At  the  close 
of  the  Cotton  States  and  International  Exposition  held  at  Atlanta 
in  1895,  Mrs.  Peel,  who  had  been  chairman  of  the  Colonial  ex- 
hibit, was  instrumental  in  furthering  a  proposition  for  the  pur- 
chase of  a  memorial  set  of  thirteen  chimes  to  be  hung  in  a  tower 

in 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

of  Georgia  granite,  which  should  be  a  part  of  an  auditorium  or 
music  hall.  Many  school  children  contributed  their  mites,  but 
the  funds  were  never  called  for  and  the  enterprise  was  reluct- 
antly abandoned.  After  the  acceptance  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  offer, 
it  was  suggested  that  a  graceful  and  proper  disposition  of  the 
fund  would  be  the  presentation  to  the  city  of  a  bust  of  its  great 
benefactor.  This  proposal  met  with  general  approval.  The 
committee  in  charge  were  pleased  to  be  able  to  secure  the  ser- 
vices of  Signor  Trentanove,  who  was  known  to  many  of  the 
citizens  through  his  connection  with  the  Cotton  States  Exposi- 
tion as  European  Commissioner  of  Fine  Arts,  and  who  was  also 
a  personal  friend  of  Mr.  Carnegie.  Although  the  bust  and  ped- 
estal reached  Atlanta  as  early  as  February,  1901,  it  was  not  un- 
veiled until  July  4,  1904,  awaiting  first  the  formal  opening  of  the 
library,  and  then  the  possible  presence  of  Mr.  Carnegie. 

The  history  of  the  Nashville,  Tennessee,  Carnegie  Library 

goes  back  to  the  Howard  Library,  a  subscription  organization 

incorporated  in  1885.    Remaining  a  reference  library 

Nashville.  .,  Vn         i  or,        •  ,  ,  •  i      • 

until  October,  1889,  it  was  then  made  circulating  on 
a  basis  of  paid  readers'  cards.  Two  years  later  it  became  a  free 
public  institution.  In  December,  1901,  Mr.  Carnegie's  offer  of 
$100,000  for  the  erection  of  a  new  building  was  accepted.  At 
a  largely  attended  meeting  the  incorporators  of  the  Howard 
Library  voted  to  transfer  all  the  property  of  that  association  to 
the  Carnegie  Library.  This  transfer  was  made  on  condition 
that  the  property"  be  kept  available  for  free  library  purposes  "  ; 
that  the  Carnegie  Library  carry  out  the  contracts  existing  be- 
tween the  Howard  Library  and  its  card-holders ;  and  that  the 
new  building  "  shall  fittingly  perpetuate  the  memory  of  M.  H. 
Howard."  With  the  passing  of  the  Howard  Library  its  quarters 
were  occupied  and  its  work  was  carried  on  by  the  Carnegie 
Library  until  the  new  building  was  completed.  The  Carnegie 
Library  board  was  composed  of  directors  of  the  Howard  Library 
and  three  members  appointed  by  the  city  council. 

The  site  on  which  the  building  stands —  a  gift  from  J.  Edgar 
McLenahen  —  was  accepted  in  January,  1902,  by  the  com- 
mittee having  the  matter  in  charge.  Early  in  December  of  that 
year  the  directors  submitted  a  report  to  the  city  council,  urging 
that  the  city  appropriation  of  $10,000,  required  as  a  condition 
of  Mr.  Carnegie's  gift,  be  granted  at  once,  in  order  to  make  the 

112 


THE   SOUTH 

possible  improvements  in  equipment  and  service  that  would  be 
necessary  when  the  library  moved  into  its  new  building.  "  Nat- 
urally and  necessarily,"  says  the  report,  "  a  much  larger  service 
will  be  expected  of  the  library  as  soon  as  the  new  building  is 
occupied.  We  have  already  over  5,000  card  holders  in  Nash- 
ville, with  only  a  little  over  7,000  books  available  for  free  circula- 
tion, and  the  library  is  strained  to  its  utmost  to  supply  books  to 
borrowers.  As  soon  as  we  occupy  the  new  building  the  num- 
ber of  card  holders  will  be  at  once  doubled  or  trebled,  and 
unless  we  provide  beforehand,  at  least  to  a  considerable  extent, 
for  the  greatly  increased  demand,  the  library  management  will 
be  under  embarrassment  and  the  public  disappointed." 

But  the  public  was  not  disappointed,  for  on  December  30  the 
council  approved  the  budget  for  1903,  making  the  $10,000 
library  appropriation  desired.  Said  the  trustees:  "The  favor- 
able decision  of  the  mayor  and  council  is  a  matter  of  congratu- 
lation. The  council  by  its  practically  unanimous  action  has 
evinced  public  spirit  and  appreciation  of  the  library  service." 

On  September  19,  1904,  the  library  building  was  opened  to 
the  public  without  formal  exercises.  It  is  in  the  Italian  renais- 
sance type  of  architecture.  A  large  central  delivery  room, 
which  opens  from  a  handsome  main  hall,  is  arranged  for  free 
access  to  the  shelves  and  equipped  with  turnstiles  and  de- 
livery desk.  To  the  left  of  the  entrance  is  the  reading  room, 
and  opening  from  this  a  newspaper  and  magazine  room.  On 
the  right  are  the  reference  room,  the  librarian's  office,  and 
cataloguer's  room.  The  art  gallery,  known  as  Howard  Me- 
morial Hall,  is  on  the  third  floor,  as  are  also  rooms  for  club 
meetings,  study  and  the  like.  The  basement  provides  a  splen- 
did children's  room,  a  staff  rest  room,  unpacking  and  storage 
rooms. 

The  librarian,  Miss  Mary  Hannah  Johnson,  in  a  paper  on 
library  development  in  Tennessee  prepared  for  the  Asheville 
Conference  of  the  American  Library  Association,  said  that  "  the 
formative  work  that  has  been  done  has  been  based  upon  a 
policy  which  must  prove  a  sure  foundation  for  future  upbuild- 
ing. This  policy  has  been  to  emphasize  the  library  as  an 
essentially  educational,  as  distinguished  from  a  recreational  in- 
stitution ;  that  it  is  a  necessity  and  not  a  luxury ;  that  it  must 
go  hand  in  hand  with  schools  and  colleges  in  such  intimate  and 

JI3 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

vital  association  that  neither  can  do  without  the  other,  and  that 
communities  will  eventually  demand  the  library  as  necessary  to 
their  educational  equipment.  The  people  must  be  given  in- 
formation about  libraries  and  must  be  shown  the  need  and 
benefit  of  the  library  before  they  can  be  induced  to  give  it 
proper  attention  or  call  for  its  establishment.  And  I  know  of 
no  better  way  to  teach  the  people  to  call  for  the  library  than  to 
couple  it  with  the  educational  movement  in  the  South.  It  is 
hoped  and  believed  by  these  enthusiastic  educators  that  in  a 
few  years  a  library  spirit  will  be  engendered  the  like  of  which 
has  never  been  here  before.  The  library  workers  are  few,  but 
the  prominent  men  and  women  belonging  to  the  Southern 
educational  association  are  many  and  they  are  going  to  take 
the  library  message  to  the  people." 

It  was  late  in  the  year  1900  that  the  city  of  Chattanooga 

received  Mr.  Carnegie's  offer  of  $50,000  for  a  library,  provided 

the  city  would  guarantee  a  yearly   maintenance  of 

Chattanooga.  y    T      ,  .         °  .  J    T      J  _, 

$5,000.  In  his  annual  message,  January,  1901,  Mayor 
Wassman  recommended  that  the  board  take  whatever  action 
was  needed  to  secure  to  the  city  the  benefits  of  Mr.  Carnegie's 
donation.  He  questioned,  however,  the  advisability  of  a  perma- 
nent annual  expenditure  of  $5,000,  favoring  that  amount  for  the 
first  year  only  —  with  such  subsequent  yearly  appropriation  as 
might  prove  necessary  for  the  proper  support  of  the  library. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  held  on  January  24 
a  unanimous  motion  was  adopted  asking  the  city  for  the  appro- 
priation as  stated  in  the  Carnegie  offer.  To  permit  the  city  to 
make  this  allowance  a  bill  was  introduced  into  the  state  legisla- 
ture, providing  that  cities  from  30,000  to  60,000  population  may 
levy  a  tax  of  five  cents  on  each  $100  of  assessable  values  for 
library  purposes.  In  March  a  special  committee  of  the  council 
recommended  the  acceptance  of  the  gift  and  the  passage  of  an 
ordinance  which  provided  that  a  specific  tax  be  levied  "  to 
realize  the  sum  of  $5,000  to  be  used  in  the  support  and  main- 
tenance of  said  free  public  library  and  reading  room  for  the 
period  of  one  year,"  the  city,  thereafter,  to  make  suitable  pro- 
vision for  its  support. 

Owing  to  various  unfortunate  conditions  final  action  was  not 
taken  in  the  matter  until  the  spring  of  1902,  when  the  city 
council    passed    the   ordinance,   together  with  an  amendment 

114 


THE   SOUTH 

suggested  by  Mr.  Carnegie,  that  the  city's  annual  support 
should  be  "  at  a  cost  of  not  less  than  $5,000  yearly."  The  next 
step  was  the  selection  and  purchase  of  a  site,  at  the  corner 
of  Georgia  Avenue  and  East  Eighth  Street.  Plans  were  soon 
chosen,  the  contract  was  let,  and  on  the  evening  of  July  17, 

1905,  the  "Chattanooga  Public  Library:  Carnegie  Building"  — 
thus  reads  the  inscription  —  was  opened  to  the  public  with  a 
general  reception.  Further  ceremony  was  abandoned  when  it 
was  found  that  Mr.  Carnegie  could  not  be  present. 

Besides  a  nucleus  of  the  Chattanooga  Library  Association, 
which  was  merged  in  the  Carnegie  Library,  the  new  library  had 
acquired,  at  the  time  of  opening,  3,500  volumes  by  donation  and 
1,500  by  purchase;  and  public  interest  had  further  manifested 
itself  in  cash  contributions  of  more  than  $3,000.  The  two-story 
building  is  in  the  renaissance  style,  97  X  54  feet  in  dimensions. 

The  children's  room,  which  was  not  ready  for  use  until  May, 

1906,  is  beautiful  in  proportion  and  design.  It  is  a  memorial 
to  the  late  Edward  Gould  Richmond  from  Mrs.  Richmond  and 
her  two  children.  The  room  opens  directly  on  the  street,  its 
chief  feature  being  a  white  marble  memorial  mantel-piece. 
Green  oak  is  employed  for  the  interior  woodwork,  shelving  and 
technical  furniture,  and  tables,  chairs,  window-seats  and  museum 
cases  were  specially  designed.  The  books  were  marked  with 
a  book-plate  having  the  motto,  "  Resolve  well  and  persevere." 

The  library  movement  in  Norfolk  began  in  the  year  1870  with 

a  subscription  library  under  the  guidance  of  Dr.  William  Selden 

as    president   of  the    Norfolk   Library    Association, 

Norfolk.  l .  „  •'  ' 

and  in  rooms  occupied  by  the  courtesy  of  the  Nor- 
folk Academy.  After  many  vicissitudes  of  fortune,  the  Norfolk 
Library  Association  secured  a  new  charter  as  the  Norfolk 
Public  Library  and  an  appeal  was  made  to  the  city  for  financial 
assistance.  A  collection  of  15,000  volumes  was  amassed,  but 
there  were  no  prospects  for  a  suitable  and  separate  building 
until  in  February,  1901,  an  appeal  was  made  to  Mr.  Carnegie. 
A  grant  of  $50,000  was  offered  and  accepted  and  the  heirs  of 
Dr.  William  Selden  donated  a  valuable  corner  lot  near  the 
mathematical  centre  of  the  city.  That  the  new  building  would 
be  a  memorial  to  both  Dr.  Selden  and  Mr.  Carnegie  was  re- 
ferred to  by  the  Rev.  C.  E.  Grammer  in  his  address  at  the  lay- 
ing of  the  corner-stone  in  October,  1903: 

II"? 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  congratulation,  to-day,"  he  said,  "  that  one 
of  them  was  a  native  of  this  city  and  that  he  was  well  worthy  of 
remembrance.  It  is  part  of  the  pathos  of  the  self-denying  and 
arduous  life  of  the  physician,  that,  unlike  the  judge  or  the  minister, 
whose  memories  are  handed  down  in  the  records  of  the  court  and 
of  the  parish,  and  whose  pictures  are  often  preserved  upon  the 
walls  of  the  institutions  they  served,  the  memory  of  the  physician 
is  apt  to  pass  away  with  the  generation  to  whom  he  ministered. 
Surely  there  is  a  special  sadness  in  the  thought  that  the  memory 
of  one  who  all  his  life  fought  against  Death,  should  so  soon  be 
cut  down  by  the  destroyer's  scythe.  The  loyalty  and  generosity 
of  his  heirs  have  prevented  such  a  fate  from  befalling  the  honored 
name  of  Dr.  William  Selden.  Some  fitting  inscription  on  these 
walls  will  commemorate  the  name  of  the  eminent  physician  and 
surgeon,  whose  skill  brought  such  blessings  to  the  people  of 
Norfolk  and  whose  fame  was  part  of  the  honors  of  the  town. 
His  labors  during  life  aided  the  suffering  bodies  of  his  fellow 
townsmen,  and  now  that  he  is  gone,  his  influence  will  be  per- 
petuated in  ministrations  to  their  minds. 

"  The  name  of  Andrew  Carnegie  has  so  filled  the  trump  of 
fame,  and  his  philanthropic  gifts  have  been  so  unprecedented  in 
their  number  and  immensity  that  my  obscure  voice  is  too  thin 
and  weak,  and  my  diction  too  bald  and  meagre  to  praise  a  benev- 
olence which  has  awakened  the  gratitude  of  nations,  and  like 
the  celestial  luminaries,  has  visited  with  the  light  of  inspiration 
almost  every  considerable  town  across  the  breadth  of  our  conti- 
nent. The  earliest  library  that  the  spade  of  the  explorer  has 
brought  to  light  had  a  king  for  its  founder,  and  the  bricks  and 
clay  cylinders  of  the  great  library  of  Asurbanipal,  or  Sardana- 
palus,  were  placed  by  the  lordly  founder  at  the  service  of  all 
the  people  of  Nineveh.  From  that  distant  day  to  this,  what  a 
splendid  lot  of  leaders  has  been  associated  with  the  founding 
and  enlargement  of  libraries !  In  Egypt  Rameses  the  Great 
founded  a  notable  library  in  which  Moses  may  have  studied. 
The  world  has  rung  with  the  fame  of  the  great  library  of  the  Ptole- 
mies in  Alexandria,  which  was  finally  destroyed  by  the  ignorant 
fanaticism  of  the  Arabs.  The  imperial  name  of  Augustus  is 
associated  with  the  library  of  Rome  ;  and  the  almost  superhuman 
majesty  of  a  Charlemagne  left  its  memorials  in  the  monastic 
library  of  Fulda.  In  Germany,  the  fame  of  the  great  elector  is 
connected  with  the  library  of  Berlin  and  the  Bibliothcque  Nationale 
of  Paris  has  upon  the  roll  of  its  patrons  such  names  as  Francis  I., 
Henry  IV.,  Louis  XIV.,  '  Le  grand  monarque,'  and  those  great 
ministers,  those  true  rulers  of  France  in  their  day,  the  sagacious 

116 


R.  R.  Taylor,  Architect  o   bi   Miss  Frances  B    [ohnston 

LIBRARY   OF   TUSKEG1  E    INSTITUTE,   TUSKEGEE,    VLABAMA 


H^P^i       -Til:      H^F^M 


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Ai  kerman  &  Ross,  architects,  n.  y. 

NASHVILLE,   TENNESSEE 


photos,  by  H.  O.  Fuller 


I  OBP.Y    AND    M.I  l\ TKV    DKSK. 


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NORFOLK,    VIRGINIA 


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Main   i 

NORFOLK.   VIRGIN!  \ 


H.  J.  Klitho,  Architect 


Photo,  by  Moore 


JACKSONVILLE,    FLORIDA 


I  \    11  WENS 


READING   R(  M  IM  (for  colored  patrons) 


SI  CI  >M>    I   I  01  IK 


JA<  KSONVILLE,  FLORIDA 


THE   SOUTH 

Colbert,  and  the  belligerent  Louvois.  Nor  must  we  pass  without 
mention  the  still  more  splendid  service  and  the  saintly  names  of 
great  churchmen  like  Alcuin,  Benedict  Biscop,  Theodoret,  Raba- 
nus  Maurus;  or  the  vast  labors  as  librarians  and  book-makers 
of  the  Benedictines,  Carthusians  and  Cistercians. 

"  In  this  great  roll  of  kings,  saints,  statesmen  and  philanthro- 
pists, who  have  appreciated  the  value  of  learning  and  have  aided 
its  preservation  and  propagation,  the  name  Carnegie  will  have 
an  honored  place.  If  it  has  not  been  given  to  him  to  come  to 
the  rescue  of  literature  at  such  a  critical  age  as  Charlemagne  or 
the  Benedictines,  or  to  begin  a  movement  as  did  the  great 
sovereigns  I  have  mentioned  in  their  countries,  or  Sir  Thomas 
Bodley  in  Oxford,  nevertheless,  he  has  excelled,  in  the  number  of 
the  libraries  that  he  has  founded  and  the  width  and  pecuniary 
value  of  his  donations  for  learning,  any  patron  of  libraries  that 
ever  lived. 

"The  town  of  Dunfermline,  Scotland,  has  long  been  famous 
in  literature  on  account  of  its  mention  of  the  splendid  old  Eng- 
lish ballad  of  Sir  Patrick  Spens,  which  opens  with  these  lines : 

'The  king  sat  in  Dunfermline  tower 
Drinking  his  bluid  red  wine.' 

"  But  from  henceforth  Dunfermline  will  always  be  remembered 
as  the  birthplace  of  Andrew  Carnegie,  the  Maecenas  of  his 
age,  a  king  of  organized  labor,  and  a  philanthropist  of  regal 
liberality. 

"  This  Virginia  seaport,  where  so  many  Scotch  merchants 
settled,  sends  her  voice  across  the  waters  to  Scotia's  famous  isle, 
in  gratitude  and  praise  of  Scotland's  generous  son.  We  rejoice 
to  claim  him  to-day,  as  our  countryman  by  adoption,  by  his 
loyalty  to  our  institutions,  and  by  his  triumphant  advocacy  of 
our  national  ideals  of  democracy.  By  his  career  and  his  position 
as  the  benefactor  of  a  race,  he  has  become  a  potent  influence 
among  the  forces  that  are  knitting  together  in  closer  bonds  the 
English-speaking  peoples." 

The  new  building  was  designed  by  Mr.  Herbert  D.  Hale  of 
Boston  and  Henry  G.  Morse,  Jr.,  of  Philadelphia,  who  were 
awarded  the  work  after  a  competition.  The  ground  floor  is 
practically  on  a  level  with  the  street  grade  on  account  of  the  high 
tide  level  preventing  a  basement  below.  Entering  an  ample 
vestibule,  one  reaches  a  monumental  staircase  which  leads  to  the 
main    floor   of  the    library.     The    delivery   room  occupies  the 

117 


CARNEGIE   LIBRARIES 

center  of  this  main  floor,  with  the  stack  in  the  rear  and  the  prin- 
cipal reading  room  in  the  front  or  most  desirable  part  of  the 
building. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  things  about  the  library  at  Tus- 

kegee  is  the  fact  that  it  was  built  almost  wholly  by  the  labor  of 

the  colored  students.     Moreover,  the  $20,000  given 

T  u  s  k  C  £TC  c  > 

by  Mr.  Carnegie  provided  not  only  the  building  but 
the  furniture  as  well  —  and  that  was  made  entirely  by  students. 
The  brick  structure  is  in  colonial  style.  Four  Ionic  columns  at 
the  front  of  the  building  support  a  well-designed  pediment  which 
forms  a  porch  and  lends  to  the  whole  an  imposing  appearance. 
On  each  side  of  the  central  portion  are  wings,  30  by  40  feet. 
In  its  greatest  dimension,  the  building  is  50  by  no  feet  and  two 
stories  high.  In  good  arrangement  the  first  floor  provides  a 
reading  room,  magazine  and  newspaper  room,  librarian's  office, 
stack  room  and  janitor's  room.  The  second  floor  contains  an 
assembly  room,  three  study  rooms,  a  museum  and  a  stack 
room.  The  building  is  heated  by  steam  and  lighted  by 
electricity. 

Mr.  R.  R.  Taylor,  Director  of  Industries  of  Tuskegee  Institute, 
and  the  first  colored  graduate  from  the  Massachusetts  Institute 
of  Technology,  is  the  architect  who  drew  the  plan  of  the  library, 
which  has  received  much  praise  from  various  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. The  library  is  open  from  7  A.  M.  to  10  P.  M.,  and  is  at  all 
times  under  the  supervision  of  a  competent  librarian.  Free 
access  to  the  shelves  is  allowed,  and  liberal  privileges  are  per- 
mitted to  both  teachers  and  students  in  taking  out  books  for  use 
in  their  rooms.  An  effort  has  been  put  forth  to  make  Tuskegee 
a  center  of  information  regarding  negro  literature,  and  to  that 
end  living  negro  authors  are  asked  to  contribute  their  works, 
and  pamphlets  and  books  of  every  description  written  by  ne- 
groes are  obtained  whenever  possible.  In  the  periodical  read- 
ing room  all  popular  magazines  are  to  be  found,  a  special  feature 
of  this  room  being  that  it  contains  all  current  matter  pertaining 
to  the  negro.  "  It  has  been  my  good  fortune,"  said  President 
Taft,  at  the  dedication  of  the  Carnegie  Library  of  Howard  Uni- 
versity, "  to  stand  with  Mr.  Carnegie  and  to  speak  with  him  from 
the  same  platform  at  Tuskegee,  at  Hampton,  and  here,  and  to 
hear  his  accents  of  encouragement  to  the  colored  race  and  his 
wise  advice  to  them  as  to  the  necessity  for  education  on  their 

Il8 


THE    SOUTH 

part,  and  as  to  the  obligation  of  each  individual  of  the  race  to 
remember  that  in  all  his  conduct  he  is  a  representative,  and  on 
trial.  Mr.  Carnegie  was  absent  a  year  ago  when  we  founded 
this  library.  I  was  glad,  on  the  occasion  of  the  laying  of  the 
cornerstone,  for  the  moment  to  officiate  in  his  place  and  to  feel 
as  a  great  millionaire  benefactor  feels.  We  do  not  envy  Mr.  Car- 
negie his  money  and  the  fortune  that  has  attended  his  efforts, 
but  what  we  do  envy  him  is  the  happiness  that  it  must  give  him 
to  be  able  to  do  so  much  good  to  his  fellowmen  as  he  is  doing 
every  month  in  the  year.  I  am  bound  to  say  that  he  has  in- 
creased the  burdens  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  in  the 
necessity  that  the  Chief  Executive  feels  in  attending  every  func- 
tion of  this  kind  which  registers  a  large  donation  from  Andrew 
Carnegie." 

The  Public  Library  of  Jacksonville,  Florida,  for  the  building 
of  which    Mr.    Carnegie    gave  $50,000,  was  one  of  , 

b  &  .  ,      ,  Jacksonville. 

the  first  to  have  special  provision  made  for  colored 

readers,  but  the  latter  failed  to  make  much  use  of  the  library 

privileges. 

"  Those  who  come  to  the  library,"  wrote  Mr.  G.  B.  Utley,1 
then  librarian,  "  are,  without  exception,  orderly,  unobtrusive, 
and  quiet.  They  are  mostly  from  the  middle  class  of  ne- 
groes. The  low  classes  do  not  come,  because  they  have  no 
interest,  nor  can  many  of  them  read;  and  many  of  the  educated 
and  cultured  negroes  (for  there  are  some  even  in  the  South) 
will  not  come  unless  they  can  do  so  on  the  same  social  equality 
and  use  the  same  apartments  as  the  white  patrons.  Further- 
more, most  of  the  colored  readers  are  comparatively  young; 
again,  for  the  likely  reason  that,  as  a  rule,  the  elders  cannot 
read.  Not  many  blacks  could  read  until  after  they  were  '  freed 
by  de  Lord  an'  de  Yankees,'  as  one  old  darky  expressed  it 
to  me. 

"  It  is  of  more  than  passing  interest  to  see  what  the  colored 
people  read  and  what  they  don't  read.  One  may  either  view  it 
from  the  point  of  sociology  or  psychology.  You  expect  Booker 
Washington,  Paul  Laurence  Dunbar,  Charles  W.  Chesnutt,  and 
other  colored  writers  to  be  well  patronized,  and  they  are,  even 
Du  Bois's  exhaustive  study  on  'The  suppression  of  the  African 
slave  trade  '  being  frequently  borrowed,  but  I  cannot  say  how 
frequently  read.     One  might   doubt  their  appreciation  of  Uncle 

l  The  Critic,  July,  1906. 
119 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

Remus  stories  as  coming  a  mite  too  near  home,  but  putting 
them  in  as  a  venture  they  have  taken  with  the  colored  people 
very  well.  Colored  children  love  fairy  tales  about  the  same 
as  white.  Mark  Twain  is  clamored  for  in  the  white  rooms, 
little  read  in  the  colored.  I  think  most  librarians  have  small 
call  for  Mrs.  Stowe's  works,  with  the  exception  of  '  Uncle  Tom's 
Cabin.'  The  colored  people  read  all  her  books,  but  probably 
on  account  of  Uncle  Tom's  reputation. 

"  The  use  of  certain  fiction  surprises  one.  '  Hypatia,'  '  Les 
Miserables,'  and  Wilkie  Collins's  books  are  all  taken  more  than 
at  the  white  desk.  They  read  Dickens  with  apparent  apprecia- 
tion, especially  David  Copperfield  and  Oliver  Twist.  Scott  is 
little  read  except  Ivanhoe  and  Rob  Roy.  Even  George  Eliot 
has  a  brave  following ;  more  so,  strange  to  say,  than  Thackeray. 
Poetry  and  religion,  the  two  things  people  rather  expect  the 
negro  to  revel  in,  are  only  moderately  indulged  in.  You  are 
often  surprised  by  having  them  call  for  books  like  Butler's  '  Mean- 
ing of  education,'  and  Henderson's  '  Social  spirit  in  America.' 
The  percentage  of  history  is  about  as  high  as  in  the  white  de- 
partment, which  does  not  mean  that  it  is  wonderfully  high  in 
either.  General  and  elementary  histories  of  the  United  States 
are  frequently  taken,  but  books  relating  to  the  Civil  War  from 
the  Federal  side  do  not  have  as  much  interest  for  them  as  pop- 
ularly supposed.  They  are  all  anxious  to  read  of  what  their 
own  race  is  doing,  what  advances  they  are  making,  what  con- 
ventions they  are  holding,  especially  if  the  accounts  are  by  col- 
ored writers.  Colored  magazines  are  thoroughly  read,  more 
thoroughly  than  some  of  the  best  of  the  popular  periodicals. 

"  Books  on  practical  mechanics,  though  elementary,  appeal 
to  them  very  little,  nor  do  works  on  carpentry,  gardening,  and 
fruit  culture.  Books  on  cookery  and  domestic  economy  appar- 
ently do  not  reach  those  who  practise  the  arts.  Pure  science  is 
little  read,  although  Ball's  '  Starland  '  shows  a  number  of  readers. 
They  do  not  care  for  books  on  music  as  much  as  might  be  ex- 
pected from  their  inherent  musical  gifts.  Nature  books  have 
but  scant  use,  and  that  among  school  children  who  are  directed 
to  them  by  their  teachers.  There  has  been  almost  a  run  on 
Darwin's  '  Descent  of  man.'  One  wonders  if  the  borrowers  really 
read  it  through.  Roosevelt's  '  Strenuous  life'  is  heartily  adopted 
by  them,  in  theory,  and  already  needs  rebinding. 

"  Travel  and  description  by  Stanley,  Du  Chaillu,  or  other 
writers  on  Africa  interest  them  absolutely  not  at  all.  They  do 
not  take  much  to  travel  and  description  generally,  possibly  be- 
cause they  are  themselves  unable  to  travel.  Illustrated  books 
appeal  to  them  much  less  than  to  white  readers.     Books  with 

120 


THE   SOUTH 

startling  titles  are  much  more  likely  to  go  out,  regardless  of 
their  contents.  They  are  persuaded  to  read  non-fiction  much 
easier  than  whites,  and  they  are  not  as  quick  to  ask  for  the 
latest  book,  though  occasionally  somebody  will  inquire,  as  did 
an  honest  soul,  if  we  've  '  got  any  books  on  late  friction.'  " 


121 


CHAPTER    XI 

PITTSBURG 

The  alchemy  of  civilization' s  evolution  is  full  of  splendid  wonders  ;  but  no  trans- 
mutation  will  ever  be  exhibited  more  startling  or  more  impressive  than  the  creation  of 
the  bright  jewels  of  education,  art, and  music  from  the  grime  and  noise  of  your  furnaces; 
and  no  gem  will  ever  have  a  more  astonishing  setting  than  the  Carnegie  Institute  in 
your  smoky  city.  —  Speech  of  Grover  Cleveland,  sixth  celebration  of  Founder's 
Day,  November  7,  1901. 

Carnegie  Institute,  Physically  the  Largest  of  the  Institutions 
Founded  by  Mr.  Carnegie  —  History  of  the  Library  Movement 
in  Pittsburg  —  Branch  Libraries  —  The  Enlargement  of  the 
Institute. 

DR.  WILLIAM  J.  HOLLAND,  director  of  the  Carnegie 
Museum,  an  entomologist  of  repute  and  formerly  chan- 
cellor of  the  Western  University  of  Pennsylvania,  has 
given  an  interesting  account  of  the  work  of  the  Museum  and 
incidentally  of  the  founding  of  the  Institute.1  He  tells  how  one 
glorious  summer  day,  "  seated  upon  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree,  the 
man  whose  name  to-day  is  borne  by  scores  of  institutions,  which 
his  more  than  princely  benevolence  has  founded,  talked  to  a 
friend  in  relation  to  his  plans  for  the  great  city,  the  history  of 
the  growth  of  which  is  closely  linked  with  the  story  of  his  own 
wonderful  career."  One  does  not  have  to  read  far  between  the 
lines  to  see  that  the  friend  referred  to  was  Dr.  Holland  him- 
self. "  The  Allegheny  Library  will  before  long  be  nearing  com- 
pletion," Mr.  Carnegie  is  reported  to  have  said,  "  and  the  time 
is  approaching  to  execute  my  designs  for  Pittsburg.  In  my 
original  offer  I  agreed  to  give  Pittsburg  a  quarter  of  a  million 
of  dollars  with  which  to  build  a  library,  but  I  mean  to  enlarge 
my  gift  and  make  it  a  million.  I  have  given  Allegheny  a 
library  and  a  music-hall.  I  wish  to  do  as  much  for  Pittsburg. 
The  library  idea  is  central.  My  convictions  on  that  subject  are 
established.     But  I  wish  to  do  something  more  than  to  found 

1  Popular  Science  Monthly,  May,  1901. 
122 


PITTSBURG 

a  library  in  Pittsburg.  I  am  thinking  of  incorporating  with 
the  plan  for  a  library  that  of  an  art  gallery  in  which  shall  be 
preserved  a  record  of  the  progress  and  development  of  pictorial 
art  in  America,  and  perhaps  also  of  making  some  provision  for 
advancing  knowledge  among  the  people  through  the  addition  of 
accommodations  for  the  various  societies  which  in  recent  years 
have  struggled  into  existence  among  us.  These  societies  de- 
serve to  be  encouraged.  I  mean  the  Art  Society,  the  Botani- 
cal Society  of  Western  Pennsylvania,  the  Microscopical  Society 
of  Pittsburg,  and  all  those  other  societies.  Get  them  to  join 
their  forces  and  unite  to  form  one  society  —  call  it  the  Academy 
of  Science  and  Art  of  Pittsburg,  if  you  please  —  and  I  will  fur- 
nish accommodations  for  them  when  I  come  to  build  the  library 
in  Pittsburg.  We  can  treat  with  one  central  organization  better 
than  with  half  a  dozen  different  societies.  Some  of  these  socie- 
ties are  forming  collections  of  books,  historical  objects,  natural 
history  specimens.  These  things  ought  to  be  kept  in  fire-proof 
quarters.  That  is  another  point  on  which  I  am  sound.  I 
believe  in  fire-proof  construction.  There  are  your  butterflies, 
for  instance.  Such  collections  ought  not  to  be  exposed  to  the 
risk  of  fire.  When  I  build  the  library,  I  will  provide  a  good 
place  in  which  to  keep  them." 

Mr.  Carnegie's  original  offer  to  the  city  of  Pittsburg  was 
made  on  November  25,  1881,  a  third  of  a  century  ago,  in  a 
communication  to  the  mayor,  in  which  he  proposed  to  donate 
$250,000  for  a  free  library  on  condition  that  the  city  agree  to 
appropriate  the  sum  of  $15,000  annually  for  its  maintenance. 
It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  annual  maintenance  fund  required 
by  the  donor  was  only  the  legal  rate  of  interest,  six  per  cent  of 
the  amount  of  the  proposed  gift,  and  less  than  one-tenth  of 
what  the  city  eventually  agreed  to  furnish  for  the  library  as  finally 
built.  At  that  time,  however,  the  city  had  no  power  to  raise 
money  by  taxation  for  the  maintenance  of  such  an  institution 
and  the  acceptance  of  the  offer  was  accordingly  postponed. 
Five  years  later,  when  it  was  seen  that  proper  legislative  action 
could  be  secured,  an  ordinance  was  passed  incorporating  Mr. 
Carnegie's  letter  of  188 1  and  accepting  his  proposition.  In  1887 
the  enabling  act  was  passed  by  the  legislature,  but  in  reply  to 
the  letter  of  notification  Mr.  Carnegie  stated  that  as  Pittsburg 
had  greatly  increased  in  size  and  importance  during  the  past 

123 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

few  years  he  was  convinced  that  more  extensive  buildings  were 
needed,  combined  reference  and  circulating  libraries,  accommo- 
dations for  the  exhibition  of  works  of  art,  and  assembly  rooms 
for  the  various  learned  societies  of  the  city.  He  also  suggested 
the  need  of  branch  library  buildings.  To  provide  these  struc- 
tures he  offered  to  expend  not  less  than  one  million  dollars,  on 
condition  that  the  city  should  bind  itself  to  pay  $40,000  annually 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  library  system,  and  that  the  trustees 
appointed  by  Mr.  Carnegie  should  have  the  power  to  fill  all 
vacancies  occurring  in  their  number. 

The  sceptical  and  critical  attitude  of  some  prominent  Pitts- 
burg citizens  towards  this  offer  and  their  subsequent  change 
of  heart  are  well  illustrated  by  a  letter  of  regret  from  the  late 
C.  L.  Magee,  sent  in  answer  to  an  invitation  to  address  a 
Founder's  Day  audience  on  the  subject  of  Pittsburg's  prog- 
ress. "  Were  I  to  be  with  you  on  Thursday,"  Mr.  Magee 
wrote,  "  I  think  I  should  be  inclined  to  become  reminiscent. 
I  should  turn  back,  more  than  a  decade,  to  the  time  when  Mr. 
Carnegie  first  broached  his  proposition  to  erect  a  free  library 
for  Pittsburg.  He  talked  of  donating  $200,000  to  that  purpose. 
In  the  editorial  columns  of  The  Times  I  promptly  informed  him 
and  the  public  that  the  demand  for  and  need  of  free  libraries 
had  ceased  to  exist,  having  been  extinguished  by  the  cheapness 
of  books  and  periodicals.  I  even  suggested  that  Mr.  Carnegie 
could  put  his  money  to  better  use  by  buying  a  park  for  the 
city.  I  had  abiding  faith  in  my  theory,  and  was  convinced  that 
Mr.  Carnegie  was  in  error.  Fortunately  Mr.  Carnegie  does  his 
own  thinking.  He  ignored  my  editorial  effort  and  went  on 
with  his  free  library.  Instead  of  $200,000,  he  expended  more 
than  $1,000,000  in  erecting  the  main  and  branch  libraries. 
Then  he  gave  another  $1,000,000  to  endow  the  art  gallery. 
And  so  successful  has  been  the  free  library,  with  the  other 
departments  of  the  Institute,  that  he  has  set  up  a  cry  for  more 
room  in  order  that  he  may  devote  more  millions  to  the  culture, 
the  entertainment,  and  the  education  of  the  people  of  his  old 
home  town  of  Pittsburg." 

On  May  31,  1890,  the  ordinance  accepting  Mr.  Carnegie's 
second  proposition  was  passed.  In  response  to  an  invitation  to 
enter  a  competition,  the  Board  of  Trustees  received  one  hundred 
and  two  sets  of  plans  from  ninety-seven  architects  from  all  parts 

124 


PITTSBURG 

of  the  United  States.  A  special  committee  of  the  Board  ap- 
pointed to  study  the  plans  decided  in  favor  of  those  submitted 
by  Longfellow,  Alden,  and  Harlow,  of  Boston  and  Pittsburg. 
Of  Mr.  Carnegie's  million  dollar  gift,  $300,000  had  been  set 
aside  for  branch  libraries.  After  further  study  of  the  plans 
it  was  decided  to  use  stone  instead  of  Florentine  brick  for  the 
main  structure,  and  so  Mr.  Carnegie  generously  added  another 
$100,000  to  the  $700,000  already  appropriated  by  the  Board 
for  this  building.  In  1891  the  city  granted  the  Board  of 
Trustees  a  fine  site  for  the  main  building  in  the  newly  acquired 
Schenley  Park,  and  the  foundations  were  laid  in  the  fall  of  the 
following  year.  Work  on  the  superstructure  began  in  July, 
1893,  and  the  completed  building  was  formally  presented  to  the 
city  on  November  5,  1895.  Among  the  speakers  there  were, 
besides  the  donor,  Governor  Hastings  of  Pennsylvania,  Mayor 
McKenna  of  Pittsburg,  Mr.  John  Dalzell,  and  Mr.  W.  N.  Frew, 
President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

In  the  course  of  his  speech  Mr.  Carnegie  dwelt  upon  his 
views  of  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  the  rich,  and  con- 
cluded as  follows:  "There  is  nothing  in  what  we  have  done 
here  that  can  possibly  work  evil ;  all  must  work  good,  and  that 
continually.  If  a  man  would  learn  of  the  treasures  of  art,  he 
must  come  here  and  study ;  if  he  would  gain  knowledge,  he 
must  come  to  the  library  and  read ;  if  he  would  know  of  the 
great  masterpieces  of  the  world  in  sculpture  or  architecture,  or 
of  nature's  secrets  in  the  minerals  which  he  refines,  or  of  natural 
history,  he  must  spend  his  time  in  the  museum ;  if  he  is  ever 
to  enjoy  the  elevating  solace  and  delights  of  music,  he  must 
frequent  this  hall  and  give  himself  over  to  its  sway.  There 
is  nothing  here  that  can  tend  to  pauperize,  for  there  is  neither 
trace  nor  taint  of  charity ;  nothing  which  will  help  any  man  who 
does  not  help  himself;  nothing  is  given  here  for  nothing.  But 
there  are  ladders  provided  upon  which  the  aspiring  may  climb 
to  the  enjoyment  of  the  beautiful  and  the  delights  of  harmony, 
whence  come  sensibility  and  refinement,  to  the  sources  of  knowl- 
edge from  which  springs  wisdom,  and  to  wider  and  grander 
views  of  human  life,  whence  comes  the  elevation  of  man." 

The  central  library  was  planned  at  a  time  when  it  was  com- 
monly thought  that  children  had  no  place  in  a  library.  Before 
the  library  had  been  long  in  use  the  Trustees  saw  the  need  for 

125 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

a  children's  room,  and  on  February  I,  1896,  a  room  that  had 
formerly  been  used  for  periodicals  was  transformed  into  a 
children's  reading  room;  but  it  was  only  a  makeshift.  In  the 
new  wings  suitable  provision  has  been  made  for  the  youngest 
of  readers.  The  branch  libraries  were  from  the  start  provided 
with  very  attractive  children's  rooms.  The  children's  depart- 
ment circulates  books  through  the  schools,  and  also  operates 
a  system  of  home  libraries,  which  are  practically  small  travelling 
libraries  for  children  not  reached  by  the  central  library  nor  its 
branches.  Small  cases  of  books  are  sent  to  the  home  of  some 
bright,  reliable  child,  who  agrees  to  act  as  librarian  and  who 
asks  nine  other  children  to  form  themselves  into  a  library 
group.  A  meeting  of  the  group  is  held  once  a  week,  when 
books  are  given  out,  games  are  played,  and  stories  are  told. 
A  number  of  young  men  and  women  act  as  volunteer  visitors 
and  make  tours  of  inspection  of  the  home  libraries.  As  a 
result  of  experiments  along  these  lines,  a  Training  School  for 
Children's  Librarians  was  started  in  1900,  and  has  met  with  great 
success. 

In  1894  a  committee  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  on  branch 
libraries  was  appointed,  and  after  mature  deliberation  decided 
upon  seven  sites,  —  three  on  the  South  Side,  one  in  Hazelwood, 
one  in  Lawrenceville,  one  in  the  East  End,  and  one  in  the  old 
city.  To  these  seven  provision  was  later  made  for  an  eighth. 
All  these  branch  libraries  have  been  built  and  are  in  active 
operation.  But  even  with  these  facilities  the  wants  of  the  city 
cannot  be  supplied  and  many  deposit  stations  have  been  started. 

Each  branch  library  has  its  own  collection  of  from  7,500  to 
13,000  volumes,  and  is  in  charge  of  an  assistant  who  works 
under  the  direction  of  the  librarian  at  the  main  library.  While 
the  administration  of  the  branches  centers  in  the  main  library, 
yet  the  branch  librarians  are  encouraged  to  devise  plans  for  and 
develop  the  use  of  their  branch  libraries. 

The  buildings  erected  for  these  branch  libraries  are  divisible 
into  two  styles, —  first,  those  having  a  book-stack  radiating  from 
a  central  delivery  desk,  as  the  Lawrenceville  and  Wylie  Avenue 
branches ;  and  secondly,  those  without  any  stack  at  all,  or  the 
open  shelf  libraries,  as  at  the  Hazelwood,  Mt.  Washington,  and 
West  End  branches.  Free  access  to  the  shelves  is,  however, 
given  at  all  the  branches,  and  complete  supervision  is  obtained 

12C 


PITTSBURG 

by  the  use  of  glass  partitions  where  separation  of  departments 
is  necessary. 

The  Lawrenceville  Branch,  the  first  to  be  opened,  was  planned 
to  house  20,000  volumes  on  the  same  floor  as  a  general  reading 
room  and  a  children's  room,  and  it  was  required  that  every  part 
of  this  floor  should  be  visible  from  a  central  delivery  desk.  The 
card  catalogue  is  built  into  the  rear  of  the  circular  delivery 
desk,  with  the  drawers  facing  towards  the  book-stack.  By  hav- 
ing the  book-cases  radiate  from  the  delivery  desk  complete 
supervision  of  all  the  rooms  on  this  floor  is  obtained.  In  order 
to  operate  this  branch  on  the  free  access  plan,  it  has  been  found 
advisable  to  close  the  doors  C  and  D  on  either  side  of  the 
delivery  lobby  and  have  the  public  enter  the  stack-room  through 
the  registering  turnstile  F  (which  moves  only  in  one  direction), 
and  to  enter  the  reading  room  through  the  doors  A  and  B. 
The  only  exit  from  any  of  these  rooms  is  through  the  turnstile 
E.  Thus,  between  the  supervision  of  all  readers  while  in  the 
building  and  the  necessity  for  their  passing  out  immediately 
in  front  of  the  delivery  desk,  there  is  comparatively  little  danger 
of  books  being  carried  off  without  being  charged.  The  base- 
ment contains  a  study  club  room,  an  auditorium  with  seating 
capacity  for  five  hundred  persons,  a  work-room,  boiler-room, 
etc. 

The  Wylie  Avenue  branch,  located  in  a  densely  populated 
district,  has  been  from  the  first  the  busiest  of  the  branches,  and 
includes  among  its  patrons  people  of  various  nationalities  and 
races.  The  plan  is  similar  to  that  of  the  Lawrenceville  branch, 
but  the  book  room  was  made  somewhat  smaller  and  the  reading 
rooms  one-third  larger,  so  as  to  accommodate  a  larger  number 
of  readers.  But  even  with  these  extra  provisions  the  rooms  are 
frequently  overcrowded  at  certain  hours  of  the  day. 

The  West  End  branch,  located  near  the  outskirts  of  the  city 
in  a  thinly  settled  district,  and  therefore  serving  a  smaller 
population  than  any  of  the  other  branch  libraries,  was  opened 
on  February  1,  1899.  It  being  necessary  to  economize  on  this 
branch,  the  main  floor  consists  simply  of  a  large  room  without 
partitions,  and  with  the  books  shelved  around  the  entire  room. 
Back  of  the  delivery  desk  is  an  alcove,  16  X  14  feet,  filled  with 
reference  books. 

The  Mt.  Washington  branch  is  modelled  on  the  same  plan, 

127 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

except  that  glass  partitions  separate  the  general  reading  room 
and  the  children's  room  from  the  lobby,  thus  insuring  a  greater 
degree  of  quiet  in  the  reading  rooms.     The  general  fittings  of 
this  branch  are  an  improvement  upon  those  of  the  previous  three 
branches,  and  the  details  of  drawers,  lockers,  periodical  racks, 
and  the  like  have  been  carefully  worked  out  so  as  to  facilitate  the 
routine  work  and  economize  space.    The  reference  alcove  behind 
the  delivery  desk  will  accommodate  2,000  volumes;   the  circu- 
lating  collection  for  adults  is  shelved  around  the  walls  of  the 
general  reading  room,  and  the  juvenile  literature  around  the  walls 
of  the  children's.    The  turnstiles  are  an  improvement  upon  those 
in  the  older  branches,  and  the  octagonal  delivery  desk  is  found 
to  be  more  satisfactory  than  the  circular  style.     For  the  sake  of 
symmetry  the  shelving  in  the  children's  room  is  carried  to  the 
same  height  as  in  the  general  reading  room,  but,  inasmuch  as 
the  highest  shelves  would  be  out  of  reach  of  the  children,  the 
two  upper  shelves  are  concealed  by  a  corticine  panel  framed  in 
oak.     These  panels  form  a  bulletin  frieze  around  the  children's 
room,  making  an  excellent  background  for  small  pictures  hung 
within  easy  reach  of  the  children's  eyes.     The  children's  libra- 
rian has  many  duties  to  perform  ;  among  others  that  of  encourag- 
ing cleanliness,  and  in  some  cases  actually  teaching  boys  and 
girls  the  primitive  art  of  washing  their  hands  and  faces.     A 
folding  wash-basin    placed   in  the  children's  room    of  the  Mt. 
Washington   branch    has  had    such   a   good    moral  effect   that 
similar  conveniences  have  been  placed  in  the  children's  rooms 
of  the  other  branches. 

Very  similar  in  general  plan  to  the  Mt.  Washington  branch 
is  the  Hazelwood  branch ;  the  main  differences  being  that  the 
delivery  lobby  is  wider,  the  seating  capacity  one-third  greater, 
and  there  is  more  shelf  room  for  books.  The  reference  alcove 
behind  the  delivery  desk  has  been  omitted,  with  the  idea  of 
future  enlargement  of  the  building  by  the  construction  of  a 
radiating  stack  above  the  semicircular  basement  auditorium. 
The  fittings  of  the  Mt.  Washington  and  Hazelwood  branches 
are  quite  similar;  both  are  decorated  with  fine  photographs 
attractively  framed,  and  with  plaster  casts  of  such  masterpieces 
as  the  Winged  Victory,  Bologna's  Flying  Mercury,  and  Delia 
Robbia's  singing  boys. 

Mr.  Carnegie  signalized  his  retirement  from  active  business 

128 


PITTSBURG 

in  March,  1901,  by  a  gift  of  #5,000,000  to  institutions  in  Pitts- 
burg and  vicinity  in  which  he  had  long  been  interested.  The 
income  of  one  of  these  five  millions  was  to  be  used  in  maintain- 
ing the  libraries  which  he  had  already  built  for  the  employees 
of  the  steel  works  at  Braddock,  Homestead,  and  Duquesne,  and 
the  income  of  the  remainder  was  to  be  used  for  the  benefit 
of  such  employees  of  the  steel  works  as  might  meet  with  inju- 
ries, for  the  families  of  such  employees  as  might  be  killed  in  the 
service  of  the  company,  and  for  old-age  pensions. 

Accompanying  the  gift  was  a  letter  in  which  the  donor  ex- 
pressed his  personal  affection  for  the  city  in  which  his  fortune 
was  made,  and  declared  that  change  and  separation  from  old 
associations  brought  him  keen  pain,  but  that  his  interest  in 
the  great  concerns  with  which  he  had  been  associated  would 
be  as  lively  as  ever,  that  he  would  have  more  time  to  devote 
to  the  Institute  and  the  Technical  School,  "  which  are  in  the 
higher  domain  of  Pittsburg's  life ;  and  these  I  have  long  seen 
to  be  my  chief  work,  the  field  in  which  I  can  do  the  greatest, 
because  the  highest,  good  for  Pittsburg."  "  The  share  which 
I  have  had  in  the  material  development  of  our  city,"  continued 
Mr.  Carnegie,  "  may  be  considered  only  the  foundation  on 
which  the  things  of  the  spirit  are  built,  and  in  taking  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  material  to  develop  the  things  of  the  spiritual 
world,  I  feel  that  I  am  pursuing  the  ideal  path  of  life  and  duty." 

From  the  moment  Mr.  Carnegie  approved  the  final  plans  for 
the  enlarged  Institute  he  steadfastly  refused  to  look  at  photo- 
graph or  sketch,  preferring  to  await  a  completed  view  of  the 
building.  April  11,  12,  and  13,  1907,  records  the  dedication  of 
that  unique  Institute  designed  to  house  public  library,  art  gal- 
lery, museum,  and  music  hall  in  one  splendid  palace.  This 
dedication,  which  marked  the  greatest  individual  gift  to  any 
community  in  the  logbook  of  the  world,  ranked  with  the  greatest 
of  similar  occasions  in  any  country.  Notable  men  from  nearly 
every  part  of  Europe  and  America  gathered  at  Pittsburg. 
There  were  many  representatives  of  the  culture  and  learning  of 
Europe,  as  well  as  from  eastern  cities,  and  more  than  a  hundred 
university  and  college  presidents,  to  say  nothing  of  the  power, 
the  wealth,  and  the  learning  of  Pittsburg  itself. 

The  spectacular  event  of  the  first  day  was  the  academic  pro- 
cession, which  started  from  the  Hotel  Schenley.     From  street 

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and  buildings  thousands  viewed  the  great  line  of  famous  old 
and  new  world  personages  as  they  marched  to  the  Institute.  It 
was  a  picturesque  scene  of  color  and  animation.  The  effect 
produced  by  the  brilliant  uniforms  of  European  dignitaries,  the 
blue  and  gold  of  United  States  army  representatives,  and  the 
varied  colors  in  the  hoods  of  the  academic  gowns,  was  further 
heightened  by  the  uniforms  of  the  Technical  School  students, 
whose  white  trousers,  dark  coats,  and  tarletan  caps  made  a  fit 
setting  through  which  the  procession  moved.  As  each  guest 
was  shown  a  seat  on  the  platform  of  Music  Hall  he  was  warmly 
greeted  by  the  great  audience  made  up  of  men  and  women 
from  every  walk  of  life.  But  all  this  applause  was  as  nothing 
compared  to  that  accorded  Mr.  Carnegie.  The  entire  audience 
rose  as  he  approached  the  center  of  the  stage,  wearing  the  robe 
of  St.  Andrews  University.  The  applause  lasted  fully  three 
minutes.  After  an  organ  selection,  a  scriptural  reading  by 
Rev.  Dr.  John  Rhys,  principal  of  Jesus  College,  University  of 
Oxford,  and  an  invocation  by  Dr.  E.  D.  Roberts,  master  of 
Gonville  and  Caius  College,  vice-chancellor  of  the  University 
of  Cambridge,  President  Frew  read  the  following  letter  from 
President  Roosevelt: 

The  White  House,  Washington,  D.  C, 
April  ii,  1907. 
Mr.  S.  H.  CHURCH,  Secretary, 

Carnegie  Institute,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

My  Dear  Sir,  —  I  am  not  able  to  be  present  myself  with  you, 
therefore  let  me  thru  you  express  my  appreciation  of  the  great 
work  done  by  the  founding  of  the  Carnegie  Institute.  Wealth 
is  put  to  a  noble  use  when  applied  to  purposes  such  as  those 
the  Carnegie  Institute  is  so  well  designed  to  serve.  Every  such 
Institute,  every  foundation  designed  to  serve  the  educational 
uplifting  of  our  people  represents  just  so  much  gain  for  Ameri- 
can life,  just  so  much  credit  for  us  collectively  as  a  nation. 
The  success  of  our  Republic  is  predicated  upon  the  high  indi- 
vidual efficiency  of  the  average  citizen ;  and  the  Carnegie  In- 
stitute is  one  of  those  institutions  which  tends  to  bring  about 
this  high  individual  efficiency.  Many  things  go  to  make  up 
such  efficiency.  There  must  be  a  sound  body;  there  must  be 
physical  hardihood  and  address  in  the  use  of  trained  nerve  and 
muscle.  There  must  also  be  a  high  degree  of  trained  intellectual 
development,  a  high  degree  of  that  intelligence  which  can  only 
be  obtained  when  there  is  both  power  to  act  on  individual  ini- 

130 


PITTSBURG 

tiative  and  power  to  act  in  disciplined  coordination  with  others. 
And  finally  there  must  be  that  training  on  the  moral  side  which 
means  the  production  in  the  average  citizen  of  a  high  type  of 
character  —  the  character  which  sturdily  insists  upon  rights  and 
no  less  whole  heartedly  and  in  the  fullest  fashion  recognizes  the 
fact  that  the  performance  of  duty  to  others  stands  even  ahead 
of  the  insistence  upon  one's  own  rights. 

Thru  you  I  extend  my  heartiest  congratulations  to  Mr.  Car- 
negie and  my  wishes  that  he  may  have  many  happy  returns  of 
this  day,  together  with  the  acknowledgment  which  all  of  us  must 
make  of  the  public  service  he  so  signally  renders  when  he  founds 
institutions  of  this  type.     Sincerely  yours, 

THEODORE   ROOSEVELT. 

Mr.  Carnegie  received  a  further  ovation  when  he  rose  to  give 
his  address,  which  was  in  part  as  follows : 

"  Eleven  years  ago,  standing  here,  I  handed  over  the  Institute 
to  Pittsburg,  then  a  bold  experiment,  a  combination  of  library, 
art  gallery,  museum,  and  hall  of  music,  never,  as  far  as  I  know, 
having  been  attempted  before. 

"  The  city  was  to  maintain  the  library,  and  let  me  say  in  pass- 
ing, most  generously  has  she  done  so,  including  seven  branches 
erected  to  meet  the  wants  of  her  swelling  population.  I  con- 
gratulate her  upon  being  among  the  foremost  cities  of  the  world 
in  public  library  development  —  certainly  there  is  none  superior. 
The  department  of  fine  arts,  museum,  hall,  and  the  technical 
school  since  added,  were  to  be  endowed  by  me,  as  uncondi- 
tional gifts  to  the  community.  The  library  may  be  considered  a 
necessity,  the  others  in  our  day  still  somewhat  as  luxuries. 

"  The  project  took  form  in  this  way:  A  sum  was  offered  for 
a  free  library,  which  Pittsburg  officials  in  their  wisdom  of  the 
day  refused.  Our  first  home  in  the  new  land,  Allegheny  City, 
fortunately  for  both  parties  recently  married  to  Pittsburg,  then 
asked  whether  the  rejected  gift  would  be  given  her.  I  was  de- 
lighted. Allegheny  library  and  hall  are  the  results  of  what  was 
really  Pittsburg's  money,  fortunately  now  part  of  the  bride's 
dower.  The  matter  was  not  allowed  to  sleep  for  a  young,  pure, 
and  public-spirited  citizen,  member  of  the  council,  moved  that 
a  committee  of  three  be  appointed  to  confer  with  me  on  the 
subject.  This  was  carried,  and  the  committee  came,  the  chair- 
man being  the  gentleman  who  presides  to-day,  proof  to  our 
foreign  friends  that  there  exists  in  American  cities  a  class  which 
responds  to  the  call  of  duty  and  has  in  all  emergencies  arisen  to 
serve  or  save  the  state.     Mr.  Frew  reminds  me  that  I  said  to 

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the  committee  that  the  gift  would  be  now  too  small.  I  would 
make  it  two  millions.  The  matter  stood  in  this  position  until 
President  Harrison  accompanied  me  here  and  opened  the 
library  and  hall  in  Allegheny  City.  Next  day  that  public- 
spirited  citizen  of  Pittsburg,  the  late  Christopher  Magee,  and  a 
few  councilmen  called,  the  offer  was  accepted  and  the  Institute 
appeared.  A  little  bit  of  history  may  be  told  here,  since  it 
brings  into  view  one  of  the  greatest  of  modern  philosophers. 
I  received  a  letter  from  Herbert  Spencer,  who  had  visited 
Pittsburg  with  me  just  after  the  library  was  refused.  He  was 
bitter  about  some  letters  from  correspondents  in  the  papers, 
who  explained,  to  their  own  satisfaction,  no  doubt,  that  my  aim 
was  only  to  erect  a  monument  for  myself.  When  I  made  the 
larger  offer  he  wrote  that  after  Pittsburg's  former  rejection  it 
should  have  been  allowed  to  suffer  the  consequences,  to  which 
I  replied  that  if  I  had  offered  the  gift  in  order  to  please  Pitts- 
burg or  court  popularity,  or  to  erect  a  monument,  I  should 
probably  have  felt  as  he  indicated ;  but  as  my  sincere  desire  was 
to  promote  the  good  of  Pittsburg  and  not  my  own  good,  I  was 
not  wounded  at  its  refusal,  and  I  rejoiced  when  it  changed  its 
mind  and  was  willing  to  maintain  a  public  library.  For,  ladies 
and  gentlemen,  it  is  not  what  a  man  gives,  but  what  he  induces 
communities  to  give  or  to  perform,  that  produces  the  most 
precious  fruit.  What  we  do  for  ourselves  is  more  stimulating 
than  what  others  do  for  us.  In  this  case  Pittsburgers  knew 
that  I  was  one  of  themselves,  for  here  it  was  that  fortune  came 
to  me,  and  it  is  as  a  Pittsburger  I  have  labored  for  Pittsburg. 
You  all  know  the  beneficent  results  which  have  followed. 

"The  hall  for  music,  under  Mr.  Wilson's  able  control,  led 
to  the  organization  of  your  permanent  orchestra,  a  rare  ac- 
quisition, of  which  neither  London  nor  New  York  can  boast. 
Pittsburg,  I  trust,  is  not  to  be  deprived  of  this  distinction. 
Assuredly  the  orchestra,  under  Mr.  Paur's  fine  direction,  brings 
far-reaching  and  most  desirable  fruits  in  plenteous  measure. 

"  The  organ  recitals  are  not  to  be  overlooked.  Many  are 
the  youths  of  Pittsburg  who,  through  these,  will  have  their 
finer  natures  touched  and  attuned,  the  results  being  lifelong. 

"  The  museum,  under  the  irrepressible  Dr.  Holland,  one  of 
yourselves,  a  Pittsburger,  can  scarcely  be  spoken  of  in  sober 
terms.  With  only  a  small  portion  of  the  funds  enjoyed  by 
two  or  three  similar  institutions,  it  has  produced  results  not  less 
and  in  some  respects  even  greater  than  these.  Indeed  the 
remarkable  finds  of  some  of  the  ancient  animals  have  placed  it 
foremost  of  all  in  these  departments.     Dr.  Holland's  gift  of  his 

132 


Plate  01 


Plate  6Ll 

WORK   WITH   THE  CHILDREN   OF   PITTSBURG 


Ibrary 


LAWRENCEVILLE    BRANCH,    PITTSBURG 


LIBRARY  CLUB   WORK   AMONG  THE   COLORED  CHILDREN 
SOHO   HILL,   PITTSBURG 


BOILER 

ROOM 
I3'0'X33'0" 


BASLMLTIT  PLAN 


LA  WHENCE  VI LLE    BRANCH,    PITTSBURG 


Alden  &  Harlow,  architects,  Pittsbi  rg  photo,  by  k.  \v.  &  H.  E.  John 

MX.   WASHINGTON    BRANCH,   PITTSBURG 


1    Hi'    :  v   .    i    \    I'M ,  Cl  IMPAN1 

LIBRARY  CLUB  WORK    IN    Mil     1 1  WISH    QUARTER,    PITTSBURG 


?rT     t       wy^ 


First  Floor  plan 


BASEMEN1    PLAN 

Ml.   WASHINGTON    BRANCH,    PITTSBURG 


ALDEN   &    HARLOW,    ARI   HITEI    l>,    I'll  ['SBURG  PHOTO.    BY    K.  W.  &    H.   h.   JOHNST( 

WYLIE   AVENUE    BRANCH,    PITTSBURG 


HOME    LIBRARY   GROUP,   PITTSBURG 


FIRST  FLOOR  FLAN 
WYLIE   AVENUE    BRANCH,    PITTSBURG 


T         tei^b 


.   . 


HR5T  rLOOR  PLAN 
WEST    END   BRANCH,    PITTSBURG 


Plate  63 


alden  &  Harlow,  architects?,  Pittsburg 

EAST    LIBERTY    BRANCH,   PITTSBURG 


kl    \MM,    ROOM 


Plate  (14 


PITTSBURG 

unsurpassed  entomological  collection  was  its  first  chief  acquisi- 
tion, but  the  doctor  has  made  a  much  more  valuable  gift  even 
than  that.  He  has  given  himself.  The  Museum  has  attained 
international  position  as  one  of  the  world's  institutions,  and 
reflects  much  credit  upon  its  director  and  his  staff. 

"Last,  but  not  least,  comes  the  department  of  fine  arts,  under 
the  management  of  Mr.  Beatty,  also  a  Pittsburger,  which  has 
also  achieved  high  position  and  reflects  infinite  credit  upon  its 
sole  director.  Its  annual  exhibitions  are  events  looked  forward 
to  both  here  and  in  Europe.  Pictures  are  sent  here  by  the  first 
artists  of  Europe,  I  am  informed,  to  a  greater  extent  than  to 
any  American  exhibition,  those  of  New  York  not  excepted.  I 
often  hear  of  the  story  of  our  jury  skying  a  picture  from  the 
great  Detaille.  When  the  gentlemen  of  the  jury  were  informed 
that  they  had  done  so,  the  reply  was  superb.  '  Can't  help  that ; 
we  don't  regard  names  here,  but  works  of  art.  It  would  have 
been  the  same  if  we  had  known  it  was  a  Rembrandt.'  I  con- 
gratulate Pittsburg  upon  this  exhibition  of  triumphant  democ- 
racy. Pedigree  does  not  count  in  her  Institute.  The  influence 
exerted  upon  the  community  by  the  art  gallery  so  conducted 
cannot  fail  to  be  great,  widespread,  and  beneficent. 

"  Our  ceremony  to-day  embraces  the  technical  schools,  which 
are  also  in  a  sense  now  to  be  formally  opened.  These  are  part 
of  the  institute,  and  no  mean  part.  In  direct  practical  results, 
under  the  magical  sway  of  Dr.  Hamerschlag,  perhaps  it  is  to 
overshadow  any  other  part,  for  it  opens  to  students  of  both 
sexes,  through  the  doors  of  knowledge,  new  and  improved 
scientific  modes  of  reaching  higher  results  through  better  means. 
It  elevates  mere  manual  labor,  making  it  more  a  product  of  the 
brain  and  less  of  the  hand,  of  skill  rather  than  force.  Based 
upon  science  and  more  refined  methods,  it  must  create  finer 
tastes.  All  the  technical  students  have  free  access  to  library, 
department  of  fine  arts,  music  hall,  and  museum.  Our  technical 
schools  therefore  may  be  regarded  also  as  education  in  esthetic 
fields  in  no  small  degree. 

"  I  am  told  there  are  to-day  1,390  students  —  young  men  and 
young  women,  and  several  thousand  waiting  admission.  In 
every  department  there  exists  obvious  proof  of  intense  earnest- 
ness, great  esprit  de  corps,  and  a  determination  to  profit  by  the 
advantages  offered.  Already  there  have  been  developed  strong 
feelings  of  pride  and  love  of  the  schools. 

"  Thus,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  wherever  we  look  around  us,  in 
every  branch  of  the  institute,  we  find  success  written  in  large 
and  unmistakable  letters.     The  tree  has  borne  good  fruit  abun- 

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CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

dantly  year  after  year  in  the  past  and  promises  to  continue 
doing  so  increasingly  year  after  year,  generation  after  genera- 
tion to  come,  the  end  of  which  no  one  can  foretell.  This 
proves  the  presence  of  an  able  and  devoted  organizer  at  the 
head  of  the  commission,  to  whom  special  thanks  are  due.  Mr. 
Frew  has  been  a  harmonizer  and  constructive  force  throughout, 
hence  the  brilliant  success. 

"  Judged  by  the  past,  the  future  promises  well.  There  is  no 
question  of  Pittsburg's  continued  growth,  no  indications  that 
she  will  not  retain  her  commanding  position  as  a  manufacturing 
city,  foremost  in  certain  important  lines,  and  in  my  view  there 
is  no  question  of  the  continued  growth  and  usefulness  of  the 
Institute.  In  after  days,  when  the  founder  becomes  merely  a 
name,  as  Harvard  and  Yale  and  Cornell  and  many  founders  are 
to-day,  the  future  Pittsburg  millionaire,  loyal  to  the  city  where 
he  has  prospered,  will  see  that  his  bequests  can  be  bestowed 
upon  needed  extensions  or  new  departments  or  collateral  insti- 
tutions now  unthought  of.  It  will  become  more  and  more  the 
fashion,  may  I  not  say  the  duty,  of  Pittsburgers  to  consider 
what  return  they  can  make  to  the  city  which  has  done  so  much 
for  them.  Wealth  will  be  less  prized  for  itself  in  future  genera- 
tions, and  the  chief  aim  will  be  to  bestow  it  wisely  and,  I  might 
add,  justly,  for  surely  the  city  where  wealth  is  made  has,  after 
the  family,  first  claim.  When  this  is  realized  Pittsburg  will  be 
abundantly  supplied,  and  this  Institute  will  become  the  precursor 
of  other  institutions  as  needed  —  the  gifts  of  Pittsburg's  wealth 
by  Pittsburg  men  for  Pittsburg's  good. 

"  The  gifts  made  to  the  various  departments  of  the  Institute 
have  already  been  so  numerous  that  mention  of  donors  is  im- 
practicable. More  than  twenty  have  given  to  the  art  gallery, 
between  four  hundred  and  five  hundred  to  the  museum,  some  of 
the  gifts  being  extremely  valuable,  and  no  less  than  seven  hun- 
dred to  the  library.  Even  the  technical  school  just  started  has 
received  15,000  dollars  for  a  scholarship  to  be  given  to  a  worthy 
but  poor  student.  This  within  a  few  months  of  its  creation  is 
only  one  of  the  many  proofs  that  we  have  the  right  man  in  the 
right  place,  and  that  the  school  is  to  be  heard  from  in  the  future. 

"  The  names  of  the  donors  are  recorded  in  the  annals  of  the 
Institute,  and  will  furnish  pleasing  reading  to  their  descendants, 
generation  after  generation.  These  proofs  of  genuine  Pittsburg 
cooperation  are  the  sweetest  of  all  rewards,  for  they  enable  me 
to  dwell  upon  the  fact  that  I  am  not  alone  in  this  work,  and  at 
intervals  they  whisper,  '  You  have  Pittsburg  with  you,'  delicious 
music  that  goes  to  the  heart  and  makes  me  happy. 

1 34 


PITTSBURG 

"  There  is  room  for  many  things  of  the  spirit  in  our  city. 
Things  material  are  abundant.  Our  mills  and  factories,  numer- 
ous, large,  and  prosperous,  but  things  material,  including  money 
itself,  should  only  be  the  foundation  upon  which  are  reared  things 
spiritual.  Our  mines  of  coal  and  iron  have  not  completed  their 
mission  when  transmuted  into  articles  for  use  and  these  into 
dollars.  All  is  still  upon  the  material  plane.  Not  till  the  dollars 
are  transmuted  into  service  for  others  in  one  of  the  many  forms 
best  calculated  to  appeal  to  and  develop  those  higher  things 
of  the  moral,  intellectual,  and  esthetic  domain  has  wealth  com- 
pletely justified  its  existence.  Dollars  are  only  dross  until 
spiritualized,  a  means  to  an  end ;  and  miserable  the  man,  mean 
and  squalid  his  life,  who  knows  no  better  than  to  deaden  his 
soul  by  mere  possession,  counting  over  the  hoard  which  holds 
him  down  or  using  his  faculties  in  old  age  in  augmenting  the 
useless  stuff  which  ministers  not  to  any  taste  worthy  of  man. 

"  There  is  sure  to  arise  from  the  wealth  created  here  a  body 
of  men  who  will  find  in  the  distribution  of  their  gains  where 
they  were  made  the  genuine  reward  which  surplus  wealth  can 
give,  the  knowledge  that  it  is  certain  in  after  years  to  elevate, 
refine,  and  purify  the  lives  of  those  who  succeed  us,  and  that 
we  have  left  one  spot  of  earth  at  least  a  little  better  than  we 
found  it. 

"  There  is  one  body  of  men  to  whom  the  Institute  primarily 
owes  its  success  —  the  commission  of  Pittsburgers,  which  has 
labored  so  zealously  as  trustees  from  the  beginning.  We  thank 
them  and  congratulate  them  upon  the  crowning  success  to-day. 
It  has  been  my  rare  privilege  as  years  have  passed  to  become 
more  and  more  intimate  with  the  class  of  men  whose  delight  is 
to  labor  not  for  self  but  for  others,  not  for  their  own  gain  but 
for  the  gain  of  the  community.  Much  of  self  sacrifice  I  have 
seen  that  elevates  human  nature.  Little  does  and  little  can  the 
speculator  on  the  exchange,  or  the  mere  dollar-grabber  in  any 
line  of  activity,  know  of  the  higher  pleasures  of  human  exist- 
ence. Only  when  a  man  labors  for  the  general  good  and  for 
other  than  miserable  aims  that  end  with  self  can  he  know  and 
enjoy  the  high  spiritual  rewards  of  life.  We  have  such  men  in 
Pittsburg  deeply  interested  in  this  Institute,  and  also  in  the 
hero  and  pension  funds,  and  in  many  other  philanthropic  fields, 
—  men  who  give  not  only  their  time  and  thought  without  com- 
pensation, but  who  have  their  hearts  in  the  work.  If  it  were 
not  invidious  to  name  some  who  are  exceptional  where  all  have 
done  so  well,  I  should  like  to  do  so,  but  they  seek  no  public  or 
other  reward  beyond  the  return  received  from  laboring  for  the 

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general  good.  Many  are  the  men  and  women  in  Pittsburg 
who  are  laborers  in  the  vineyards  of  self-abnegation.  The  high- 
est type  of  humanity  is  that  which  does  most  to  make  our 
earthly  home  a  heaven.  The  highest  worship  of  God  is  service 
to  man. 

"  Special  acknowledgment  is  due  of  our  heavy  obligations 
to  the  press  of  Pittsburg,  which  has  from  the  inception  of  the 
Institute  till  now  been  lavish  of  their  space  and  labor  to  keep 
it  before  the  people,  and  much  of  the  general  acceptance  and 
popularity  obtained  has  been  owing  to  this.  The  medical  pro- 
fession is  justly  credited  with  giving  an  enormous  amount  of 
service  gratis,  but  I  judge  the  press  to  be  abreast  of  it.  Every 
good  non-partisan  cause  has  its  powerful  support.  All  parties 
are  found  in  happy  agreement  here.  We  can  assure  our  foreign 
guests  that  partisanship  in  our  country  is  only  skin  deep  ;  below 
that  and  deep  down  we  are  all  good  friends. 

"  We  wish  also  to  express  our  thanks  to  the  eminent  men 
from  many  parts  and  many  countries  who  honor  us  to-day  by 
their  presence.  Pittsburg  has  never  seen  a  gathering  com- 
prising so  many  from  the  old  world,  and  it  has  welcomed  them 
all  with  unusual  pleasure.  It  is  highly  honored  receiving  men 
whose  names  are  household  words  in  both  the  old  and  new 
lands,  honored  also  in  having  so  many  of  our  own  land  whose 
names  are  known  in  both  and  who  have  made  the  world  their 
debtors  for  service  rendered.  Such  assemblies  presage  the 
coming  federation  of  the  world.  Many  before  me  are  already 
more  than  Americans,  Germans,  or  Frenchmen.  They  are  citi- 
zens of  the  world,  and  the  world  owns  itself  their  debtor. 

"  It  will  not  be  considered  invidious  if  special  mention  be 
made  of  the  interest  displayed  in  our  Institute  by  that  remarka- 
ble man,  the  German  Emperor.  We  owe  him  much  for  sending 
General  Von  Lowenfeld  as  his  representative,  Secretary  of  State 
Moeller,  and  other  eminent  men.  We  ask  them  to  convey  to 
the  Emperor  the  profound  acknowledgments  of  all  interested 
in  the  Institute.  We  earnestly  wish  for  him  a  long  continuance 
of  the  reign  of  peace  and  prosperity  which  has  so  long  blessed 
his  sway,  for,  be  it  remembered  to  his  credit,  that  long  as  he  has 
reigned  his  hands  are  guiltless  of  human  blood  shed  in  interna- 
tional war.  Let  us  also  remember  that  our  technical  schools 
have  Charlottenberg  to  follow  as  a  model.  We  cannot  forget 
what  we  owe  to  Germany  as  teacher  of  the  nations  in  industrial 
education.  We  cannot  omit  recognition  of  the  valued  congratu- 
lations brought  to  us  by  the  friends  from  our  sister  republic  of 
France,  to  whom  our  country  owes  an  unpayable  debt.     One 

136 


PITTSBURG 

cannot  imagine  the  two  republics  at  variance  upon  any  subject 
whatever.  We  have  had  for  our  art  department  the  guidance 
of  France,  the  leader  in  all  things  artistic. 

"  One  of  my  oldest  and  dearest  friends,  Mr.  Joseph  Wharton, 
of  Philadelphia,  was  present  when  the  original  Institute  was 
handed  over  to  the  city  and  is  with  us  to-day.  He  recently 
reminded  me  that  I  then  closed  with  certain  words  which  he 
recited  with  such  oratorical  effect  as  I  can  only  attempt  to  imi- 
tate. I  shall  repeat  them  to-day:  'Take,  then,  people  of 
Pittsburg,  this  Institute  from  one  who  loves  Pittsburg  deeply 
and  who  would  serve  her  well.' " 

His  Excellency  Theodore  Von  Moeller,  German  Minister  of 
State,  discussed  "  The  Popular  Significance  of  the  Carnegie 
Institute  " : 

"  We  felicitate  the  citizens  of  Pittsburg  on  calling  such  a 
magnificent  educational  institute  their  own,  for  deriving  for  them- 
selves, at  first  hand,  its  beautiful  effects ;  and,  above  all,  for  having 
raised  within  their  walls  a  man  of  such  immense  energy,  of  such 
wonderful  success,  and,  withal,  of  such  noble  munificence,  who  has 
not  only  very  materially  contributed  to  the  astonishing  develop- 
ment of  your  industries,  but  who,  with  a  clear  perception  of  his 
duties  toward  the  community,  has  placed  this  rare  Institute  at 
the  disposal  of  his  fellow  citizens.   .  .   . 

"  The  fact  is  universally  recognized  that  the  conveyance  of  edu- 
cation to  the  more  industrious  among  the  uneducated  workers 
as  a  means  of  elevating  them  into  the  higher  spheres  of  life, 
and  finally  into  the  propertied  classes,  is  one  of  the  most  effec- 
tive instrumentalities  in  effacing  the  existing  social  contrasts, 
especially  among  persons  of  a  democratic  trend  of  thinking.  In 
the  Old  World,  as  well  as  in  this  country,  the  number  of  those 
who  regard  education  as  a  privilege  of  the  higher  classes  only 
is  becoming  less  and  less.  Thus,  in  Germany  it  is  to-day  con- 
sidered a  social  obligation  of  the  highest  order,  devolving  alike 
upon  communities  and  states,  to  extend  the  training  given  to 
the  young  in  public  schools,  through  schools  for  adults,  into  the 
first  years  of  their  working.  The  attendance  of  these  schools, 
first  optional,  was  later,  in  the  case  of  mechanics  at  least,  made 
obligatory;  and  the  time  for  instruction,  formerly  evenings  and 
Sundays,  transferred  into  the  working  hours,  in  order  not  to 
have  overworked  pupils  and  not  to  deprive  the  latter  of  the 
Sunday's  rest." 

Baron  d'Estournelles  de  Constant,  French  member  of  the 
Hague  conference  and  a  foremost  figure  in  the  French  senate, 

U7 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

characterized  the  Carnegie  Institute  as  "  an  act  of  faith  in  the 
future  of  our  civilization."  "  To  elevate  the  moral,  intellectual, 
and  material  welfare  of  a  people,"  said  he,  "  is  at  the  same  time 
to  serve  that  people  and  all  other  peoples  in  giving  them  an  ex- 
ample, a  line  of  conduct.  Such  is  the  work  which  we  honor 
to-day.  Antiquity  believed  its  duty  fulfilled  when  it  gave  to  the 
public  bread  and  games,  but  modern  society  consecrates  to 
them  its  most  generous  impulses  and  its  palaces." 

The  magnitude  of  the  Carnegie  Institute  merits  the  tributes 
paid  to  its  importance  as  a  factor  of  world-wide  consequence. 
Pittsburg  did  not  underestimate  it  by  regarding  the  Institute 
as  a  purely  local  creation  through  mere  pride  of  possession. 
They  accepted  it  rather  in  trusteeship  for  the  benefits  it  might 
bestow  upon  the  nation  and  the  world.  Its  influence  has  ra- 
diated, and  will  continue  to  radiate,  without  regard  to  local,  na- 
tional, or  geographical  limits  as  a  center  of  intellectual  progress, 
of  social  betterment,  and  general  advancement. 

It  is  worth  setting  down  that,  next  to  the  unique  liberality  of 
Andrew  Carnegie  in  gifts  to  Pittsburg,  the  factor  that  con- 
tributed most  to  the  great  expansion  of  the  institutions  he  has 
created  is  the  popular  appreciation  and  use  of  them  all.  Mr. 
Carnegie  was  positive  in  the  attitude  that  the  requisite  for  such 
enlargements  was  the  evidence  that  they  were  being  made  use 
of  by  the  public  and  thus  were  serving  their  beneficial  purpose. 
He  has  said  repeatedly  that  the  richest  dividend  he  could  re- 
ceive on  investments  like  these,  is  the  knowledge  that  they  are 
used  and  prized  by  the  masses.  No  Pittsburger  took  more 
pleasure  in  the  dedication  of  the  Carnegie  Institute  than  the 
aggressive  exponent  of  the  art  of  giving,  who  saw  his  earlier 
conceptions  not  only  realized  but  surpassed. 


138 


Ml.  LAL'i.HI 


WALNUT    HILLS    BRANCH,    CINCINNATI 


RE VDING   ROOM 


CHAPTER   XII 

OHIO   AND   MICHIGAN 

Branch  Libraries  in  Cincinnati — Development  of  Branch  Libraries 
in  Cleveland — Work  with  Children  at  the  Broadway  Branch  — 
The  Miles  Park  and  the  Woodland  Branches  —  Home  Libraries  — 
Port  Huron,  Michigan. 

THE  Public  Library  of  Cincinnati  has  a  much  larger 
field  than  its  name  would  indicate,  for  since  1898  it  has 
been  open  by  law  to  all  residents  of  the  county  in 
which  it  is  located.  Delivery  stations,  travelling  libraries,  and 
small  branches  have  been  established  to  supply  the  „.    . 

1     •  «•  c  1       r     1  Cincinnati. 

demands  of  the  outlying  districts.      Several  of  these 
smaller  branches  were  originally  regular  village  libraries  of  two 
or  three  thousand  volumes   each.    Through  the  generosity  of 
Mr.  Carnegie  provision  has  been  made  for  branches  in  various 
parts  of  the  city. 

The  Walnut  Hills  branch  library,  the  first  built  under  the 
provisions  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  gift,  was  opened  April  7,  1906.  It 
is  situated  in  Walnut  Hills,  a  suburb  of  some  30,000  inhabitants, 
on  a  quiet  street  in  the  residence  district,  but  within  one  square 
of  seven  car  lines  and  two  squares  distant  from  the  business 
center  of  the  suburb. 

The  building  itself  is  located  on  a  corner  lot  rather  more 
elevated  than  the  surrounding  square,  so  that  the  lighted  dome 
of  the  library  is  a  noted  feature  at  night  to  the  residents  in  the 
neighborhood  and  to  the  passers-by  on  the  various  trolley  lines 
traversing  it.  The  building  is  of  vitrified  brick  with  trimmings 
of  freestone,  the  steps  and  pillars  at  the  entrance  being  of  the 
same  stone. 

The  exterior  view  of  the  building,  with  its  oddly  contrasting 
features  and  rather  imposing  entrance,  does  not  prepare  one 
for  the  very  pleasurable  feeling  experienced  on  entering  the 
building.  The  distance  from  the  door  to  the  delivery  counter 
is  not  great.  On  either  side  of  this  passageway  are  the  usual 
rooms, — one  devoted  to  the  juvenile  department,  the  other  to 

139 


CARNEGIE   LIBRARIES 

the  fiction  and  reading  room.  Most  of  the  work  of  the  library, 
such  as  cataloguing  and  so  forth,  is  done  at  the  main  library, 
so  that  the  splendidly  equipped  delivery  desk,  which  occupies 
most  of  the  space  at  the  end  of  the  passage  leading  to  the  large 
reference  room  back  of  the  counter,  is  amply  sufficient  for  the 
needs  of  the  administration.  Beyond  the  desk  and  extending 
the  entire  width  of  the  building  is  a  well-lighted  room  contain- 
ing the  non-fiction,  the  reference  collection  of  books,  and  the 
periodical  and  newspaper  files.  The  impression  conveyed  on 
entering  the  building  is  a  most  pleasing  one  of  ample  light  and 
ventilation. 

A  very  large  reading  room  is  provided  for  in  the  rear,  around 
which  are  the  classed  books  and  works  of  reference,  7,000  in 
number,  with  reading  tables  and  chairs  close  to  the  desk  where 
help  may  be  had  for  the  asking.  The  light  in  this  room  comes 
from  four  sides ;  and,  indeed,  the  building  throughout,  with  its 
plate-glass  partitions  and  high  windows,  has  a  remarkably  good 
light. 

Complete  supervision  of  the  fiction  and  children's  room  is 
secured  from  the  desk  by  means  of  plate-glass  partitions  on 
either  side,  extending  the  entire  length  of  the  hall,  the  entrances 
to  these  rooms  being  on  a  line  with  the  rear  of  the  desk.  The 
children's  room  is  particularly  attractive  with  its  large  windows, 
low  shelving,  and  substantial  furniture.  One  special  feature  of 
this  room  is  the  collection  of  fairy  tales  and  picture  books 
arranged  on  low  shelves. 

On  the  second  floor  are  two  rooms,  the  larger  of  which  is 
used  as  a  meeting-place  for  the  boys'  club,  the  story  hour,  and 
the  various  smaller  gatherings,  the  other  as  a  rest  room  for  the 
staff.  In  the  basement  are  the  work  rooms  and  the  auditorium, 
seating  about  150.  The  auditorium  is  furnished  with  a  stereop- 
ticon  and  the  wall  is  finished  to  serve  as  a  screen.  This  room 
has  been  constantly  in  demand  during  the  fall  and  winter  months 
for  lectures  and  meetings  of  various  clubs.  The  woodwork  of 
the  library  is  birch  with  mahogany  finish. 

The  use  of  this  branch  has  been  very  satisfactory,  the  circula- 
tion averaging  about  500  a  day,  of  which  somewhat  less  than 
half  is  juvenile.  There  are  within  a  short  distance  a  number 
of  public  and  private  schools  with  which  the  library  aims  to 
co-operate   as   fully  as   possible.     Books  are  reserved  for   the 

140 


Plate  ?? 


W.  R.  Watterson,  architect 

WOODLAND    BRANCH,    CLEVELAND 
A    REMODELLED   AND   MUCH    ENLARGED    BUILDING 


Plate  78 


WOODLAND    BRANCH      I  LOOR    I'l   VN 


Plate  79 


Edward  L.  Tilton,  Architect,  New  yoRK 

MILES    PARK   BRANCH,    CLEVELAND 


i  [R(  ULATING   DEPARTMENT 


Plate  80 


i  i  □  p  n  □  n 


D  DiDil  n  II 
i  □  II  D  D  D  'D  jl .  e=.  J 


OHIO   AND    MICHIGAN 

high  schools  when  requested,  and  special  attention  is  given  to 
the  pupils  who  come  for  help.  During  the  first  year  refer- 
ences were  prepared  and  filed  for  five  clubs.  This,  together 
with  the  use  of  the  auditorium,  which  is  free  for  meetings  of 
an  educational  nature,  has  brought  many  to  the  building  for 
serious  reading. 

The  most  important  chapter  in  the  history  of  library  work  in 
the  city  of  Cleveland  opened  with  the  establishment  of  its  first 
branch  (on  the  west  side)  in  1892.  The  gradual  de- 
velopment of  a  system  of  library  branches  followed, 
the  constant  and  increasing  demand  for  an  enlargement  of  this 
system  at  length  assuming  such  proportions  that  eleven  years 
later  the  library  authorities  were  quite  in  despair  at  the  big 
problem  confronting  them.  Happily  this  crisis  was  averted  by 
Mr.  Carnegie,  who  came  to  the  rescue  with  an  offer  of  $250,000, 
—  made  at  the  solicitation  of  the  Librarian,  Mr.  W.  H.  Brett,  — 
to  extend  the  scheme  and  to  provide  adequate  buildings.  The 
offer  stipulated  that  Cleveland  should  furnish  sites  for  the  seven 
buildings  desired,  and  should  contribute  to  their  support  not 
less  than  $25,000  annually.  Later,  in  1907,  Mr.  Carnegie  sup- 
plemented his  first  gift  with  an  additional  sum  of  $123,000. 
This  came  in  response  to  a  request  from  the  Library  Board,  the 
welcome  news  being  communicated  in  the  following  letter : 

Skibo  Castle,  Dornoch,  Sutherland, 
July  2,  1907. 

Oliver  M.  Stafford,  Esq., 

President,  Public  Library  Board, 
Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Dear  Sir,  —  Mr.  Carnegie  has  yours  of  June  17th  and  agrees 
to  increase  the  amount  allowed  for  library  building  the  needed 
One  Hundred  Twenty-three  Thousand  Dollars,  as  shown  in  your 
statement.  Mr.  Carnegie  congratulates  Cleveland  upon  exceed- 
ing even  Pittsburg  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  population, 
in  library  appropriation,  placing  Cleveland  first  of  all. 
Respectfully  yours, 

JAMES  BERTRAM, 

Private  Secretary. 

In  April,  1909,  Mr.  Carnegie  offered  to  pay  for  the  erection 
of  three  additional  branch  library  buildings,  at  a  total  cost  of 
$83,000,  provided  that  Cleveland  would  obtain  sites  for  these 

141 


CARNEGIE   LIBRARIES 

without  touching  the  library  revenue,  and  would  pledge  the 
maintenance  of  the  libraries  in  these  buildings  at  a  cost  of  not 
less  than  $8,300  a  year. 

To-day  Cleveland  has  fourteen  fully  equipped  branch  libraries, 
ten  housed  in  a  building  made  possible  by  Mr.  Carnegie.  It 
would  be  difficult  to  estimate  the  value  of  these  branch  libraries 
to  the  civic  life  of  Cleveland.  In  supplementing  the  work  of  the 
schools,  of  the  clubs,  and  even  of  the  homes  of  their  several 
neighborhoods,  they  have  succeeded  in  invigorating  the  social 
and  intellectual  life  of  the  entire  community  to  a  very  noticeable 
degree.  Modern  library  methods  are  based  upon  a  growing 
assumption  that  the  work  deals  not  alone  with  books,  but  with 
human  beings  as  well,  —  their  strength  and  weaknesses,  their 
joys  and  sorrows,  their  ambitions  and  apathies.  That  Cleveland 
librarians  have  been  keenly  sensible  of  this  fact  is  plainly  evi- 
dent. Hence  their  well-spent  efforts  have  not  ended  with  what 
a  layman  might  consider  simple  and  ungarnished  library  duties, 
such  as  the  choice  of  books,  and  their  wise  distribution,  but 
they  aim  to  meet  the  desires  of  patrons  as  well  as  to  cultivate 
a  taste  for  ever  better  reading,  to  prepare  material  and  reference 
work  for  the  use  of  clubs,  schools,  or  individuals,  and  all  the 
necessary  routine  work  behind  the  scenes.  They  have  pro- 
ceeded also  along  social  settlement  lines,  accompanying  their 
traffic  in  books  with  an  alert,  personal  interest  in  and  a  sym- 
pathy with  the  people  of  the  neighborhood,  as  well  as  a  provi- 
sion for  wholesome  recreation  and  social  enjoyment. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  note  briefly  a  few  phases  of  branch 
library  work  in  Cleveland  that  have  seemed  especially  produc- 
tive of  good  results.  For  the  purpose  of  stimulating  interest 
when  introducing  a  new  branch  to  a  community,  the  most  satis- 
factory method  proved  to  be  an  arrangement  whereby  the  pupils, 
with  their  teachers,  visited  the  library  by  grades.  Of  late,  how- 
ever, the  problem  has  been  one  not  so  much  of  arousing  interest, 
but  of  satisfying  the  ever-increasing  demand  for  books,  informa- 
tion, and  club  privileges.  Through  the  children  their  parents 
have  become  interested.  Large  numbers  of  foreign  books  are 
purchased  for  their  pleasure  and  profit.  The  patronage  of 
foreign-speaking  people  in  the  Broadway  branch  neighborhood 
increased  to  such  an  extent  that  a  room  especially  intended  for 
these  patrons  recently  became  a  necessity.     In  this  room  are 

142 


CHARLES  Morki<,  ARCHn  I  iated  with  Lehman  &  Soli 

BROADWAY  BRANCH,  CLEVELAND 


ROTUNDA  OF  THE  BROADWAY  BRANCH 

reens  have  recently  been  <  ns  excepting  thosi  in  front  of  the  entrance  from 

Wilson  Avenue 


fKP^ 

CORNER  OF  CHILDREN'S  ROOM  IN  BROADWAY  BRANCH,  CLEVELAND 


Hi  iM  I  LIBRARY  GR(  »UP,  CLEVELAND 


OHIO    AND    MICHIGAN 

the  books  in  foreign  languages,  a  bulletin  board,  show  cases  for 
special  foreign  displays,  and  a  magazine  rack.  In  order  to 
make  the  library  better  known  among  the  foreigners  of  its 
neighborhood,  one  branch  has  had  leaflets  printed  in  German, 
Slovenian,  and  Polish,  stating  the  hours  of  opening,  how  to  ob- 
tain membership  cards,  and  the  like.  An  attractive  cut  of  the 
building  appears  on  the  outside  page.  These  leaflets  were  dis- 
tributed through  lodges  and  churches,  as  well  as  in  the  public  and 
parochial  schools.  A  supply  was  also  kept  at  the  receiving 
desk  for  distribution  among  foreign  borrowers.  It  is  known 
that  through  this  means  a  considerable  number  of  patrons  have 
been  introduced  to  the  library. 

One  branch  loaned  nearly  900  pictures  to  a  church  which 
arranged  an  art  exhibition  as  an  entertainment  for  its  young 
people.  There  were  displays  of  examples  of  art  in  advertising, 
book  covers,  posters,  book  illustrations,  art  in  dress,  pictures  of 
musicians,  noted  authors,  cathedrals,  studies  for  water  color,  oil, 
and  china  painting.  A  picture  display,  greatly  appreciated,  was 
a  series  of  college  interiors,  exteriors,  and  college  grounds. 
Catalogues  of  these  colleges  were  made  easily  accessible.  The 
exhibition  was  given  in  June,  and  senior  high  school  classes 
were  especially  invited. 

With  the  aim  of  extending  the  work  between  one  of  the  branch 
libraries  and  the  schools  an  informal  reception  was  held  for 
teachers  in  the  neighborhood.  Addresses  by  the  Superintend- 
ent of  Instruction  and  several  of  his  assistants,  and  also  by  the 
Librarian  and  members  of  his  staff,  were  full  of  timely  sugges- 
tions and  help.  The  Librarian  also  gave  talks  on  books  and 
reading  in  neighboring  factories  and  churches  which  resulted  in 
requests  for  book  lists.  So-called  "  stepping-stone  lists,"  placed 
in  the  pockets  of  inferior  books,  have  brought  good  results,  as 
shown  by  subsequent  withdrawals.  The  use  of  well-planned 
bulletins,  illustrative  of  special  topics  or  events  of  the  day,  has 
been  persistently  and  effectively  developed. 

The  forming  of  clubs  has  opened  up  splendid  opportunities 
for  personal  work,  not  only  in  an  educational  way,  but  along  the 
lines  of  self-culture,  and  fair  dealing  as  well.  Boys'  clubs 
usually  begin  with  athletics  and  games  as  a  foundation,  gradu- 
ally coming  to  include  reading  and  debating.  The  writer  recalls 
such  an  organization,  composed  of  a  number  of  Polish  boys 

143 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

from  about  fifteen  to  seventeen  years  of  age,  —  members  of  a 
neighborhood  gang,  most  of  them  under  the  jurisdiction  of  a 
probation  officer,  and  none  of  them  attending  school.  The  club 
was  formed  with  the  assistance  of  a  young  lawyer  who  had  vol- 
unteered his  services.  In  a  short  time  every  boy  in  this  club 
became  interested  in  reading,  two  or  three  went  back  to  school, 
and  in  time  the  probation  officer  was  able  to  dismiss  them 
with  clear  records.  They  lost  their  reputation  as  a  menace  to 
the  neighborhood,  becoming  instead  examples  of  order  and 
decency. 

Among  girls'  clubs  a  desire  for  social  pleasure  usually 
broadens  into  such  interests  as  reading,  charitable  work,  or 
reviewing  and  dramatizing  stories.  For  example,  the  Alcott 
Club  in  the  Woodland  branch,  organized  purely  for  pleasure, 
began  reading  the  life  of  Helen  Keller.  This  created  an  interest 
in  blind  people,  and  with  its  leader  the  club  visited  Goodrich 
House  social  settlement,  where  work  open  to  the  industrial  blind 
is  carried  on.  The  club  members  at  once  voted  a  small  contri- 
bution to  the  book  fund,  making  also  a  pledge  to  assist  in 
the  work. 

To  preserve  the  dignity  of  the  library  as  an  educational  insti- 
tution and  to  make  the  organizing  and  meeting  of  clubs  valuable 
to  those  concerned,  it  was  found  necessary  to  frame  certain 
rules,  of  which  the  following  set  is  a  good  example : 

i.  The  purpose  of  the  club  is  to  be  discussed  with  the  branch 
librarian  so  that  she  may  decide  upon  the  eligibility  of  the  club 
to  the  use  of  the  room. 

2.  Parliamentary  law  is  to  govern  all  club  meetings. 

3.  If  the  members  of  the  club  are  not  old  enough  properly  to 
conduct  the  club,  they  are  required  to  have  a  leader  who  will  be 
capable  of  preserving  order  and  teaching  parliamentary  rules. 

4.  Each  organization  is  to  appoint  a  committee  to  draft  a 
constitution  and  by-laws,  a  constitution  only,  or  by-laws  only, 
according  to  the  requirements  of  the  club,  these  to  be  submitted 
to  the  branch  librarian  for  approval. 

Space  forbids  more  than  a  mere  mention  of  the  story-hour 
work  among  groups  of  children ;  of  exhibits,  ranging  from  old 
valentines  to  amateur  photography,  Alaskan  relics,  wool  tex- 
tiles, etc. ;  of  the  clubs  for  old  as  well  as  young,  and  of  the  free 
concerts,  lectures,  and  entertainments  of  widely  varying  charac- 

144 


OHIO   AND    MICHIGAN 

ter.  The  club  rooms  and  the  auditoriums  are  open  to  all  organ- 
izations whose  purposes  are  educational  and  non-partisan  or  in 
any  way  tend  to  the  public  welfare. 

Much  of  the  branch  library  work  is  among  an  immigrant 
population.  The  children  of  these  immigrants  are  a  class  unto 
themselves,  their  attitude  toward  life  combining  that  inbred 
spirit  of  an  oppressed  people  accustomed  to  getting  their  rights 
under  difficulties,  with  the  quickly-acquired  spirit  of  a  free-born 
American.  The  combination  tends  toward  lawlessness,  and  the 
only  way  to  cope  with  the  situation  has  proved  to  be  a  judicious 
administering  of  the  stern  authority  that  the  immigrant  nature 
respects,  tempered  with  sympathy  and  kindness.  The  librarian 
learns  to  meet  a  variety  of  conditions  in  a  variety  of  ways, 
bearing  in  mind,  always,  that  chief  aim  of  the  work,  —  to  render 
the  library  useful  in  the  highest  sense  to  the  neighborhood 
which  it  serves. 

The  following  account  of  work  with  children  and  the  means 
used  to  reach  them  at  the  Broadway  branch  is  quoted  from  the 
report  of  the  Children's  Librarian  at  the  close  of  the  second 
year,  January  i,  1908  :  "  The  second  year's  work  in  the  Children's 
Room  has  shown  the  difference  between  children  of  reading 
parents,  and  those  to  whom  a  book  is  something  to  be  read 
with  difficulty,  perhaps  spelled  through.  The  majority  of  the 
people  have  little  of  luxury  in  their  lives,  the  time  taken  for 
pleasuring  and  recreation  is  very  scant,  and  the  money  to  spend 
on  pleasure  is  scarce  ;  so  then,  it  follows,  that  when  the  children 
ask  for  a  Bohemian  or  German  fairy  tale  and  we  question,  '  For 
yourself  ? '  and  they  answer, '  No,  for  my  father,'  we  are  much 
pleased ;  and  when  we  find  a  child  in  the  second  grade  insisting 
on  having  the  Blue  fairy  book,  and  on  being  advised,  '  But  that 
is  too  old  for  you,'  replies,  '  This  is  for  my  father  and  mother ; 
they  like  fairy  tales,'  we  know  they  are  getting  a  new  view  of 
life,  and  for  a  little  while  they  live  with  princes  and  princesses 
in  some  king's  wonderful  palace.  It  has  not  been  unusual  in 
the  last  few  months  to  be  asked,  '  Please  and  will  you  be  so  kind 
as  to  start  my  father  on  some  new  fairy  tales ;  he  has  read  all  the 
colored  ones.'  The  demand  for  German  and  Bohemian  fairy 
tales  is  always  increasing. 

"  The  most  cordial  and  friendly  relation  exists  between  the 
library  and  the  schools.     Principals  and  teachers   give   assur- 

145 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

ances  of  the  great  help  it  is  to  them  in  their  work.  In  one  very 
foreign  district  the  principal  told  me  the  children  had  improved 
so  much  in  their  reading,  and  attributed  it  largely  to  their  inter- 
est in  the  books  from  the  library,  and  then  said  further:  '  Unless 
a  child  can  read,  and  read  understandingly,  he  cannot  do  even  a 
simple  problem  in  arithmetic'  Another  principal  thinks  the 
library  has  increased  the  children's  respect  for  public  buildings, 
and  made  them  better  mannered.  Certain  it  is  that  the  children 
are  more  easily  managed  this  year  than  last,  that  the  majority 
of  them  bow  to  us  and  smile  when  they  come  in,  and  usually 
remember  to  say  good-night. 

"The  ideal  discipline  we  try  for  is  not  to  send  a  boy  out  be- 
cause he  has  been  naughty,  but  to  get  an  interesting  book  into 
his  hands  at  the  first  show  of  restlessness,  —  a  case  of  '  do  this  ' 
rather  than  '  don't  do  that'  This  means  that  the  Children's 
Librarian  must  know  her  books,  and  know  them  well,  so  that  if 
necessary  she  can  turn  to  a  particular  incident  in  a  book  and  fit  it 
to  the  wriggling  bit  of  humanity  that  needs  it  at  that  particular 
moment.  Then  three  things  have  been  accomplished  :  a  possible 
bad  boy  has  been  transformed  into  a  good  one,  the  special  atten- 
tion has  pleased  him  and  a  long  step  has  been  taken  toward 
getting  him  under  her  influence,  and  the  order  of  the  room  has 
been  preserved. 

"  When  the  painter  gilded  the  cross  on  the  steeple  of  Our 
Lady  of  Lourdes'  Church,  and  the  children  stood  on  the  street 
watching  with  breathless  interest  the  black  speck  so  far  up  in  the 
air,  it  was  a  comparatively  easy  matter  to  have  eight  boys  at  one 
table  all  reading  the  Steeple  Climber,  from  '  Careers  of  danger 
and  daring.'  They  are  impressionable  enough  to  be  fairly  easily 
influenced,  caught  by  the  interest  of  the  moment,  but,  like  all  im- 
pressionable natures,  they  need  constant  attention  and  suggestion. 

"  Illustrated  reading  lists,  termed  bulletins,  are  aids  in  guiding 
the  children's  reading,  and  under  these  bulletins  we  try  to  keep 
the  newest,  cleanest  copies  of  books  we  have  thus  advertised. 
More  bulletins  are  made  with  reading  lists  for  boys  than  for  girls. 
So  long  as  the  girls  cannot  be  said  to  have  a  real  reading  taste 
formed  it  seems  advisable  to  direct  their  attention  to  the  best 
books  for  boys,  so  they  read  '  Jack  Ballister's  Fortunes '  and 
'  Treasure  Island  '  with  apparent  interest. 

"The  English  history  reading  list  for  the  sixth  grade  has  been 
of  great  help  in  broadening  the  reading.  There  were  days  and 
days  when  Robin  Hood  and  King  Arthur  never  were  near  their 
shelves,  and  of  all  our  many  copies  of  English  history  not  one 
was  to  be  found  in  the  room.  The  Tappan  books,  'In  the  Days 
of  Alfred  the  Great,'  '  In  the  Days  of  William  the  Conqueror,' 

146 


OHIO   AND    MICHIGAN 

etc.,  were  read  and  re-read.  One  boy  smilingly  confided  that  he 
had  read  Alfred  the  Great  so  many  times  he  had  lost  count,  but 
it  just  seemed  he  could  not  get  enough  of  him." 

Three  of  the  Carnegie  branches  are  represented  among  the 
accompanying  illustrations.  The  Miles  Park  branch,  on  the  site 
of  its  former  building,  was  opened  to  the  public  in  MiIes  Park 
March,  1906.  It  is  beautifully  situated  in  a  setting  of  Branch- 
grass  and  trees.  Of  buff  pressed  brick,  it  measures  69  X  103 
feet.  The  entrance  is  made  imposing  by  the  two  massive  pillars 
at  the  doorway  and  the  broad  stairs  which  lead  to  the  main  cir- 
culating room.  Two  bronze  memorial  tablets  ornament  the  en- 
trance corridor.  One  has  a  portrait  of  Mr.  Carnegie  and  bears 
the  following  inscription  :  "  This  building  was  the  gift  of  Andrew 
Carnegie  to  the  people  of  Cleveland."  The  other  contains  the 
names  of  the  library  trustees.  The  circulating  room  is  sur- 
mounted by  a  dome  of  beautiful  leaded  glass  supported  by  eight 
pillars,  beneath  which  is  the  delivery  desk.  On  either  side  of  the 
stairs  the  reference  room  and  the  children's  room  open  into  the 
circulating  room,  from  which  glass  partitions  separate  them. 
Of  special  note  are  the  mantels  in  these  rooms,  the  latter  having 
a  series  of  tiles  on  which  scenes  from  Shakespeare's  plays  are 
painted.  Adjoining  the  children's  room  is  the  junior  club  room, 
devoted  to  children's  clubs  and  story  hours.  On  the  floor  below 
are  the  auditorium,  a  club  room,  rooms  for  the  staff,  and  the 
bindery.  The  woodwork  and  the  furniture  throughout  are  of 
weathered  oak,  the  walls  and  ceiling  are  terra  cotta  and  different 
shades  of  tan. 

The  first  library  to  be  completed  under  the  Carnegie  gift  was 
the  Woodland  branch.  The  front  portion  of  the  former  building 
forms  the  east  wing  of  the  new,  a  one-story  colonial  woodland 
brick  structure,  with  stone  trimmings,  measuring  Branch- 
84  X  164  feet.  The  marble  wainscoted  vestibule  leads  into  a  wide 
corridor,  on  the  wall  space  of  which  are  a  few  carefully  chosen 
pictures.  Opening  from  the  corridor  are  the  office  and  the  cir- 
culating department,  which  are  separated  from  the  reference 
room  and  the  children's  room  by  plate-glass  partitions.  Scenes 
from  the  story  of  King  Arthur  painted  on  tiles  around  the 
mantel  of  the  children's  room  are  a  never-failing  source  of  de- 
light. Adjoining  the  circulation  department  is  one  of  the  club 
rooms,  which  serves  also  as  an  anteroom   for  the  auditorium. 

147 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

The  latter  is  situated  in  the  rear  of  the  building  and  has  an  out- 
side entrance  by  way  of  the  arched  portico.  A  retiring  room 
for  the  staff  also  opens  from  the  circulating  department.  The 
basement  is  given  over  to  public  lavatories,  pages'  and  janitor's 
rooms  and  store  room.  The  building  is  generously  provided 
with  skylights.  The  woodwork  and  furniture  are  of  weathered 
oak.  The  walls  and  floor  covering  are  tinted  in  a  lighter  tone, 
the  general  effect  of  the  whole  being  soft  and  harmonious. 

Broadway  branch,  corner  of  Broadway  and  East  55th  Street, 
is  in  modern  French  renaissance  style,  decagon  shaped,  of  red 
Broadway  brick  and  stone.  One  entrance  leads  to  the  library, 
Branch.  ^q  other  to  the  auditorium.     Names  are  registered, 

and  books  charged  and  returned  in  the  central  office,  reached 
by  passing  through  the  vestibule  and  exhibition  corridor.  To 
the  right  of  the  office  are  the  circulating  department  and  the 
reference  and  reading  rooms ;  a  glass  partition  under  the  dome 
incloses  the  circulating  desk.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
building  is  the  children's  room,  with  more  than  four  thousand 
carefully  selected  volumes.  The  basement  contains  a  large 
auditorium  as  well  as  rooms  for  clubs  and  the  children's  hour. 

In  addition  to  making  use  of  the  regular  channels  of  branches, 
sub-branches,  and  school  libraries,  the  Cleveland  Public  Library 
has  a  number  of  "  home  libraries,"  —  cases  of  forty  or  fifty  attrac- 
tive books  for  children  which  are  sent  to  the  home  of  a  family  in 
a  locality  far  from  any  of  the  branch  libraries.  Each  week  a 
visitor  goes  on  an  appointed  afternoon  to  the  home  where  the 
books  are  and  meets  with  a  dozen  children  who  have  formed 
themselves  into  a  group.  Stories  are  read,  games  played,  and 
each  child  given  a  book  or  two  to  take  home.  While  the  books 
are  furnished  by  the  library,  the  work  is  done  by  young  men 
and  women  who  are  interested  in  social  betterment  and  who 
volunteer  their  services.  Many  of  these  volunteer  visitors  are 
graduates  of  the  Woman's  College,  or  are  Normal  School  stu- 
dents. A  supervisor  of  home  libraries  looks  after  the  work, 
visiting  the  homes,  forming  the  groups,  and  securing  the  visitor. 
The  following  account  of  a  home-library  group  in  the  Italian 
district,  shown  in  the  accompanying  illustration,  is  taken  from  a 
Cleveland  paper: 

"  The  picture  shows  the  meeting-place  of  one  of  our  groups 
on  Hill   Street,  —  that  much-maligned  spot  where  the  public 

148 


PATTON    &    MILLER.   ARCHITECTS,  CHICAGO  PHOTOS.    BY   N.    L.    STEBBINS,    B( 

PORT    HURON',    MICHIGAN 


READING    Room 


>ECOMD     FlCDE      PlAM 


HfiiS-r  n_OOF5  PL  AM 
Ptoie-r  Hukon  -    Micm. 


wing  &  Mahurix.  arch 


ELKHART.    IXI'IAXA 


ENTRANCE    I"    ELKHART   I.11KARY 


ELKHART,    INDIANA 


Patton  &  Miller,  architects,  chk 


FREEPORT,    ILLINOIS 


STREA  rOR,    [LLIN(  IIS 


Public  •  L'brarv  •   5theator  •  III 


Frank  Miles  Day  &  brother,  architects,  Phila.,  pa. 

MADISON,  WISCONSIN 


Photos,  by  j.  c.  Schuberi 


READING    ROOM 


Claude  &  Starck,  Architects,  Madison  Pho  os    bi  j.  C.  Schubi  i 

DARLINGTON,  WISCONSIN 


INTERIOR    (>F    DARLINGTON    I.IHRARY 


Firsi    Floor 


D  ARLINGTON,  WIS<  ONSIN 


OHIO   AND    MICHIGAN 

opinion  would  have  it  that  the  casual  wayfarer  must  invariably- 
run  the  gauntlet  of  gleaming  stilettos  wielded  by  swarthy  Italian 
villains.  '  No  good  thing  cometh  out  of  Hill  Street,'  they  say, 
but  that  is  far  from  true.  Though  one  must  deplore  the  crowded 
houses  and  lack  of  cleanliness,  there  is  much  to  admire  in  their 
sunny  dispositions,  their  great  family  affection,  and  the  marvel- 
ous patience  shown  to  the  ever-present  babies  by  the  older 
children. 

"  The  court  in  which  this  house  stands  is  entered  by  a  narrow 
passageway  from  the  street.  It  plays  the  double  r61e  of  back 
yard  to  two  houses  and  front  yard  to  two  others.  The  rear  of 
the  latter  open  directly  upon  a  narrow,  dirty  alley.  In  these  four 
houses  live  some  ten  or  twelve  Italian  families,  all  amply  sup- 
plied with  children,  so  that  this  court  alone  furnished  abundant 
material  for  a  Home  Library.  In  fact,  it  was  found  advisable 
to  form  two  clubs,  one  for  the  children  over  twelve  years  of  age, 
the  other  for  the  little  ones.  The  age  limit  could  never  be  en- 
forced, though,  for  the  older  girls  always  had  the  inevitable 
baby  to  care  for,  whose  presence  often  disturbed  the  quiet  neces- 
sary for  reading  or  story-telling. 

"  The  children  are  delighted  with  the  books.  Ignorance  in  the 
matter  of  reading  does  not  dull  their  enthusiasm.  All  the  little 
Salvatores  and  Carmelitas  must  have  books  in  emulation  of  their 
elders.  They  are  permitted  to,  for  it  was  found  that  the  juve- 
nile books  drawn  by  the  youngest  children  were  enjoyed  by  the 
older  brothers  and  sisters,  whose  pride  demanded  their  choosing 
books  more  suited  to  their  age  but  not  always  to  their  mental 
caliber. 

"  A  large  number  of  these  children  are  born  in  Italy,  but 
acquire  the  English  tongue  with  surprising  rapidity,  and  prefer 
to  speak  it  to  escape  the  ridicule  of  their  schoolmates.  Few  of 
the  parents  speak  English.  Their  attitude  toward  the  library 
visitor  is  kind  tolerance.  The  children  supply  the  enthusiasm. 
The  moment  the  visitor  enters  the  court  there  is  a  wild  rush 
among  the  younger  children,  and  the  cry,  'Here's  the  lady  — 
she  teaches  library,'  is  the  signal  for  the  popping  out  of  heads 
from  upper  windows,  and  then  a  scattering  to  hunt  up  books. 

"  At  Christmas  time  our  little  club  room  had  a  most  festive 
appearance.  The  table  upon  which  the  bookcase  usually  stood 
was  transformed  into  a  tiny  altar,  with  bits  of  statuary,  burning 
tapers,  and  vessels  of  holy  water.  In  another  corner  stood  the 
Christmas  tree  furnished  by  a  good  friend. 

"  But  like  true  love,  the  course  of  all  Home  Library  clubs 
does  not  run  smoothly,  and  one  Saturday  morning  the  visitor 

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CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

was  met  with  the  astonishing  news  that  the  club  had  been 
chased  out  by  the  pigs.  A  little  explanation  revealed  that  a 
pig-killing  and  a  sausage-making  were  going  on  in  the  room 
usually  occupied  by  the  older  girls'  club  and  they  had  taken 
refuge  in  a  nearby  kitchen.  This  pig-killing  performance  lasted 
some  weeks,  and  seriously  interfered  with  our  meetings,  but 
finally,  when  the  rooms  were  sufficiently  garlanded  with  festoons 
of  sausages  to  last  an  indefinite  length  of  time,  the  club  again 
resumed  its  meetings." 

The  public  library  for  the  erection  of  which  Mr.  Carnegie 
gave  $45,000  to  the  city  of  Port  Huron,  Michigan,  was  opened  to 
the  public  in  May,  1904.  At  the  dedication  exercises, 
which  were  largely  attended,  Mr.  W.  L.  Jenks,  presi- 
dent of  the  board  of  library  commissioners,  traced  the  history 
of  the  local  library  from  its  beginning  in  the  high  school  build- 
ing nine  years  before.  Starting  with  a  few,  it  had  accumulated 
more  than  14,000  books,  and  had  furthermore  achieved,  through 
the  generous  aid  of  Mr.  Carnegie,  a  new  home  representing  an 
expenditure  of  $50,000.  Mr.  Jenks  spoke  of  public  libraries  as 
factors  in  education.  He  said  that,  although  other  countries 
may  justly  claim  the  greatest  scholars,  to  the  United  States  is 
properly  due  the  distinction  of  possessing  a  higher  educational 
average  than  any  other  nation.  This  fact  he  attributed  largely 
to  the  existence  and  quality  of  its  public  libraries. 

The  chief  address  of  the  evening  was  given  by  Mr.  Melvil 
Dewey,  who  spoke  vividly  and  entertainingly  of  the  future  of 
the  modern  library  in  the  social  system.  The  speaker  touched 
upon  the  public  library  idea,  its  growth  and  expansion  during 
a  century.  At  first  a  mere  collection  of  books,  circulated  in  a 
more  or  less  haphazard  manner,  and  with  little  enthusiasm  for 
the  real  benefit  that  might  be  gained  from  an  improved  system, 
the  idea  has  grown  and  broadened,  becoming  every  year  more 
far-reaching  in  its  influence.  He  mentioned  the  beginning  of 
"  library  mechanism "  some  twenty-five  years  before,  and  its 
development  up  to  the  year  1900,  when  legislative  action  favor- 
able to  the  establishment  and  growth  of  libraries  put  new  life 
into  the  work.  "  A  library  is  not  merely  a  good  thing,"  said 
Mr.  Dewey,  "  it  is  an  absolutely  essential  thing,  and  the  time  will 
come  when  to  ask  in  a  city  or  town  if  it  has  a  fine  public  library 
will  be  as  much  of  an  insult  as  to  ask  if  it  has  a  public  school 

150 


OHIO   AND    MICHIGAN 

and  post  office.  In  the  history  of  education  there  has  been  no 
narrowing  of  ideas ;  the  system  has  been  widening.  No  longer 
is  it  confined  entirely  to  the  school, — the  library  is  playing  an 
important  part.  Had  I  to  choose  between  the  public  school 
and  the  public  library  for  the  best  educator,  and  if  the  library 
system  were  an  ideal  one,  I  should  choose  it.  A  group  of 
scientists  who  recently  made  an  investigation  regarding  the 
various  influences  upon  the  life  of  a  child,  reached  the  verdict 
that  not  the  mother,  the  father,  the  teachers,  nor  the  school  had 
the  greatest  influence  for  good  or  bad,  but  his  reading.  I  would 
rather  have  an  only  child  at  the  foot  of  his  class,  or  fail  to 
graduate,  provided  he  had  a  taste  for  good  books,  than  to  have 
him  merely  a  brilliant  student  in  the  school."  Mr.  Dewey  paid 
a  feeling  tribute  to  the  world-famous  maker  of  libraries.  "  An- 
drew Carnegie  is  one  of  the  shrewdest  men  civilization  has  de- 
veloped," he  declared.  "  He  once  told  me  that  he  was  putting 
his  money  where  it  would  bring  him  the  most  dividends,  and 
that  he  would  like  to  build  a  library  at  every  desirable  point." 


151 


CHAPTER  XIII 

WISCONSIN   AND   THE   MIDDLE   WEST 

Madison,  Wisconsin  —  The  Essentials  of  Library  Architecture  —  Elk- 
hart, Indiana  —  Freeport  and  Streator,  Illinois  —  Kaukana  and 
Baraboo,  Wisconsin. 

THE  library  interests  of  Wisconsin  center  in  Madison, 
the  capital    city.     In  addition   to  the  library  of  the 
state  university,  which  finds  a  home    in  the  splendid 
library   building   of  the   Wisconsin    State    Historical    Society, 
there  are  the  Free  Public  Library  and  the  headquarters  of  the 
Wisconsin  Library  Commission.    For  years  the  public 

Madison.  ...  ...        -  n  .    ,  .        ,     .,     , 

library  occupied  the  first  floor  of  the  city  hall,  but  as 
the  city  grew,  and  the  library  with  it,  the  old  quarters  became 
crowded  and  inadequate. 

In  the  summer  of  1901,  Mr.  Carnegie  was  asked  to  give 
money  for  a  public  library  in  Madison.  After  some  months  he 
responded  with  an  offer  of  $50,000.  Meanwhile  the  officers  of 
the  Wisconsin  Library  Commission  were  experiencing  the  same 
lack  of  space.  Starting  in  one  room  in  the  capitol  building,  the 
work  increased  until  even  the  quarters  which  they  occupied 
when  the  capitol  burned  were  not  large  enough.  About  this 
time  the  secretary  of  the  Commission,  Mr.  Frank  A.  Hutchins, 
began  to  feel  that  the  work  of  the  Commission  and  of  the 
summer  training  school  might  be  made  much  more  valuable 
with  enlarged  facilities.  While,  therefore,  the  question  of  a 
Carnegie  library  was  being  agitated,  Mr.  Hutchins  conferred 
with  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Public  Library,  and,  with 
their  approval,  wrote  to  Mr.  Carnegie,  asking  that  his  gift  be 
increased  in  order  to  include  the  training  school  of  the  Commis- 
sion. Mr.  Carnegie  agreed  to  the  extended  plan,  offering  an 
additional  $25,000.  This  meant  an  appropriation  of  at  least 
$7,500  from  the  city,  but  the  gift  was  promptly  accepted.  The 
question  of  a  site  caused  much  trouble  and  discussion.  The 
one  finally  chosen  was  not  the  most  popular,  but  was  selected 

152 


WISCONSIN   AND    THE    MIDDLE   WEST 

for  its  fine  central  location,  being  only  a  block  from  the  city 
hall  and  Capitol  Square. 

In  February,  1906,  the  Madison  Free  Library  moved  into  its 
new  $75,000  home.  As  the  building  is  rather  unique  in  style  of 
architecture  and  general  plan  and  fittings,  it  may  be  of  interest 
to  know  how  it  came  to  be  worked  out.  When  the  Board  of 
Trustees  began  to  study  into  the  plans  for  a  building  suited  to 
the  needs  of  the  city,  they  found  themselves  confronted  by  more 
problems  than  are  ordinarily  presented  in  such  cases.  Aside 
from  the  library  rooms  proper,  it  was  one  of  the  conditions  of 
Mr.  Carnegie's  gift  that  rooms  should  be  provided  for  the  main- 
tenance of  the  library  school.  It  was  also  desired  by  the  Board 
to  furnish  quarters  for  the  Madison  Art  Association,  by  provid- 
ing connected  rooms  with  large  enough  wall  space  and  proper 
equipment  in  the  way  of  lighting  for  the  exhibits  held  by  them 
each  year.  Other  features  of  the  plan  were  to  be  an  auditorium, 
men's  club,  and  newspaper  rooms,  and  rooms  for  the  meetings  of 
literary  clubs.  All  these  requirements  complicated  the  drawing 
of  the  plans  and  made  necessary  a  very  careful  consideration  in 
the  choice  of  an  architect. 

Another  point  which  the  Board  of  Trustees  felt  was  very 
important  was  the  style  of  architecture  to  be  adopted.  The 
feeling  had  been  growing  among  them  that  the  classic  style  of 
architecture  generally  used  for  public  library  buildings  was  not 
the  one  best  suited  for  small  libraries,  as  it  was  of  too  cold  and 
formal  a  type.  So  it  was  decided  that  Madison's  building  should 
not  "  ape  the  imposing  buildings  erected  for  the  great  collec- 
tions of  books,  used  mainly  to  protect  them  for  generations  of 
students  engaged  in  scholarly  research,"  but  should  rather  "  be 
suggestive  of  a  city  home,  for  the  study  and  reading  of  books, 
and  their  further  use  for  the  general  purposes  of  recreation  and 
culture." 

This  idea  is  so  well  expressed  in  an  article  in  the  Architectural 
Record,  1902,  volume  12,  page  352,  that  it  may  well  be  quoted 
here: 

"The  interior  arrangements  of  the  modern  American  libra- 
ries are  in  most  cases  managed  with  great  ingenuity,  and  are 
admirably  adapted,  as  many  of  the  earlier  American  libraries 
were  not,  to  the  convenient  circulation  and  economical  storing 
of  a  larger  or  smaller  number  of  books.     But  however  success- 

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CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

fully  these  buildings  are  being  planned,  little  or  no  headway  has 
been  made  toward  the  development  of  a  design,  or  of  a  type  of 
design  which  is  appropriate  to  a  library  and  which  will  tend  to 
make  them  familiar  and  inviting  to  the  people  who  use  them. 

"The  majority  of  the  designs  are  merely  frigid  examples  of 
neo-classic  schoolpieces.  They  look  as  if  the  architects,  eman- 
cipated from  the  restraints  under  which  they  usually  suffer  in 
designing  commercial  buildings  and  residences,  were  irresistibly 
impelled  to  draw  facades  such  as  they  are  frequently  obliged  to 
draw  during  their  school  training,  and  so  they  get  up  some  com- 
monplace arrangement  of  columns,  a  pediment  varied  by  arched 
or  square  openings,  and  flatly  monotonous  and  uninteresting. 
No  more  depressing  exposure  could  be  conceived  of  the  imita- 
tive and  academic  character  of  American  design,  and  its  inability, 
when  dealing  with  a  fresh  and  interesting  problem,  to  treat  it  in 
a  fresh  and  interesting  way. 

"  A  library  is  a  place  in  which  books  are  stored,  and  to  which 
men  go  to  read  them  in  quiet  and  leisurely  surroundings,  and 
this  description  applies  as  well  to  public  as  to  private  libraries. 
The  former  necessarily  possess  more  spacious  dimensions  and 
more  abundant  facilities  for  the  circulation  of  people  and  books ; 
but  the  condition  remains  that  it  is  the  reading  room  which, 
from  the  point  of  view  of  the  public,  gives  the  building  its 
character  and  associations.  But  a  reading  room  is  much  more 
closely  related  to  domestic  architecture  than  it  is  to  that  of 
senate  and  court  houses.  It  is  to  be  used  by  private  people  for 
their  own  private  purposes,  and  not  by  public  officials,  whose 
duty  it  is  to  exact,  execute,  and  expound  the  laws,  and  the  de- 
sign of  a  building  in  which  such  a  reading  room  is  situated 
should  be  domestic,  familiar,  and  inviting,  the  sort  of  a  building 
in  which  a  man  would  go  to  read,  and  not  to  deliver  an  oration, 
or  to  hand  down  a  judicial  decision.  What,  then,  could  be  less 
appropriate  than  these  frigid  and  meaninglessly  classical  build- 
ings, which  have  no  association  with  books,  and  which  are  en- 
tirely lacking  in  the  atmosphere  of  quiet  and  retirement  which  is 
essential  to  any  and  all  kinds  of  a  library.  It  is,  of  course, 
difficult,  and  even  impossible,  to  get  in  a  building  of  very  large 
dimensions  the  effect  and  atmosphere  mentioned  above.  A 
more  stately  and  important  air  is  not  incongruous  with  the  pub- 
lic library  of  a  large  city.  This  stateliness  and  importance  need 
not  indeed  afford  an  excuse  for  an  academic  formalism  of  treat- 
ment, but  it  inevitably  subtracts  from  the  domestic  atmosphere 
appropriate  to  a  smaller  library  building.  The  consequence  is 
that  the  more  expensive  structures  in  the  larger  cities  tend  to  be 

154 


WISCONSIN   AND    THE    MIDDLE   WEST 

the  best,  not  only  because  they  are  usually  designed  by  more 
skillful  architects,  but  also  because  the  prevailing  classic  and 
renaissance  treatment  is  better  adapted  to  a  building  of  ample 
dimensions  and  imposing  situation.  In  the  smaller  buildings, 
however,  the  architects,  under  the  influence  of  their  academic 
training  and  imitative  methods,  have  gone  utterly  astray.  They 
have  designed  merely  a  collection  of  marble  and  granite  cold- 
storages  for  books,  under  the  erroneous  idea  that  everything 
public  must  be  classical  and  irrelevant,  and  one  of  the  most  dis- 
couraging aspects  of  the  matter  is  that  in  cases  of  competitions  it 
was  frequently  the  most  stiff  and  wintry  design  of  all  which  was 
selected." 

Having  determined  upon  the  departure  from  the  stereotyped 
form  of  building,  the  question  arose  at  Madison  as  to  what  style 
of  architecture  to  adopt.  To  solve  this  problem  it  was  decided 
to  employ  an  architects'  adviser,  and  for  this  purpose  Professor 
Warren  Powers  Laird,  head  of  the  School  of  Architecture  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  was  called  in.  He  advised  the  Col- 
legiate Gothic  style  of  architecture,  since  this  style  would  give  a 
dignified  and  beautiful  public  building,  and  would  still  embody 
the  "  home  "  or  residence  idea.  The  grouping  of  windows  in 
large  spaces  also  makes  this  style  of  building  especially  adapt- 
able for  a  library. 

Three  of  the  firms  who  had  done  the  best  work  in  America  in 
this  particular  style  of  architecture  were  invited  to  draw  com- 
petitive plans.  The  competition  was  also  thrown  open  to  all 
local  architects  who  had  been  in  practice  over  one  year.  The 
competition  was  won  by  the  firm  of  Frank  Miles  Day  &  Brother 
of  Philadelphia.  The  building  as  erected  is  substantially  that  of 
the  competitive  plan  with  some  modification  and  working  over 
of  details. 

The  residence  idea  was  carried  out  as  far  as  possible  in  all  the 
interior  furnishing  of  the  building.  In  the  main  rooms,  for  in- 
stance, the  Nernst  lights  were  used,  in  order  to  do  away  with 
table  lights  which  necessitate  a  formal  arrangement  of  tables  and 
chairs.  In  the  reading  room  are  found  only  two  pieces  of  fur- 
niture of  a  distinctively  formal  library  character,  the  periodical 
rack  and  the  attendants'  desk.  The  other  furniture  is  such  as 
might  be  found  in  any  private  library,  —  round  tables,  armchairs, 
and  even  rocking  chairs.  The  deep  window-seats  at  each  end 
of  the  room  and  the  mullioned  windows  with  their  little  pots  of 

155 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

primroses  and  cyclamen  add  to  the  homelike  appearance  of  the 
room.  One  of  the  residents  of  Madison,  making  an  inspection 
of  the  building  a  day  or  two  before  it  was  formally  opened  to  the 
public,  remarked,  as  he  stepped  up  to  the  entrance  of  the  read- 
ing room,  "  Why,  it  looks  just  like  a  home  library"  ;  and  this  is 
the  common  impression  made  upon  all  who  enter  the  room. 

One  of  the  local  press  articles  at  the  time  of  the  library  open- 
ing said:  "Few  public  service  buildings  have  been  turned  over 
to  a  municipality  in  so  complete  a  condition  as  is  the  Madison 
Free  Library.  If  one  thing  is  wanting  to  fill  every  reasonable 
function  of  such  an  institution,  that  one  thing  is  not  apparent  on 
close  inspection.  All  sorts  and  conditions  of  people  are  pro- 
vided for,  each  in  a  manner  to  make  the  homelike  feeling  the 
first  to  possess  the  user  of  the  library  in  any  of  its  departments. 
No  one  who  uses  it  can  possibly  avoid  the  sense  of  personal  in- 
terest, almost  individual  ownership,  in  the  books  and  papers 
within  his  reach  and  the  simple  elegance  of  the  new  library 
building  and  its  furnishing.  The  wide  entrance  has  a  look  of 
freedom  that  is  truly  inviting.  One  would  not  look  for  a  police- 
man there  to  tell  him  what  he  should  not  do,  nor  a  whispering, 
tiptoeing  librarian  to  tell  him  to  be  careful  or  to  keep  quiet.  The 
sense  of  privilege  pervades,  the  atmosphere  carries  a  serious, 
studious  tone." 

The  trustees  felt,  therefore,  that  they  had  attained  the  end 
toward  which  they  had  worked,  and  that  their  idea  of  what  a 
small  public  library  building  should  express  had  been  carried 
out,  if  not  in  a  perfect  way,  at  least  in  a  very  satisfactory  manner. 
The  building  is  worthy  of  a  detailed  description. 

The  lot  is  a  corner  one,  located  just  one  block  from  the  main 
business  square  of  the  city.  It  is  132  feet  square.  The  building 
is  102  feet  deep.  The  width  in  front  is  98  feet,  but  72  feet  back 
it  narrows  to  a  width  of  64  feet.  Thus  a  space  of  20  feet  is  left 
in  front  and  at  either  side,  for  future  growth,  and  10  feet  in  the 
rear  for  a  service  driveway. 

The  building  consists  of  a  high  basement  and  two  stories. 
The  materials  of  construction  are,  for  foundations  and  bearing 
walls,  brick  and  stone,  with  slow  burning  construction  for  parti- 
tions and  floors.  As  the  building  is  isolated  and  on  a  resident 
street,  fire-proof  construction  was  not  considered  necessary. 
The  exterior  walls  are  constructed  of  "  Harvard  "  brick  in  two 

156 


WISCONSIN    AND    THE    MIDDLE   WEST 

shades,  rose-red  and  black,  with  Bedford  stone  trimmings.  The 
roof  is  of  green  slate.  The  interior  woodwork  is  of  quarter- 
sawed  oak  with  a  dull  "  weathered  "  finish.  All  loose  furniture 
was  sent  unstained,  to  be  stained  by  the  same  people  who  did 
the  woodwork  in  the  building. 

The  main  entrance  leads  through  a  small  vestibule  to  a  large 
landing,  from  either  side  of  which  a  broad  stairway  leads  to  the 
basement.  In  the  basement  the  stairs  come  down  into  a  hall  40 
feet  long  by  13  feet  wide,  running  across  the  width  of  the  build- 
ing. Underneath  the  stair  landing  are  janitor's  sink  and  public 
lavatories,  thus  accessible  without  passage  through  library 
rooms.  At  the  left  end  of  the  hall  are  the  men's  club  room,  17 
X  23  feet,  connected  by  sliding  doors  with  the  newspaper  room, 
24  X  23  feet.  Each  of  these  rooms  has  a  separate  entrance  into 
the  main  hall. 

At  the  opposite  end  of  the  hall  is  a  door  leading  into  a  small 
passage  which  connects  in  front  with  the  magazine  storage  room, 
12x15  feet,  and  in  the  rear  with  the  work  room,  18  X  24  feet. 
Both  of  these  rooms  are  fitted  up  with  moveable  shelving,  seven 
shelves  high,  straight  around  the  walls.  Connected  with  the 
work  room  are  the  fire-proof  vault,  disinfecting  closet,  book-lift, 
and  vestibule  to  the  outside  service  entrance.  On  the  opposite 
side  of  this  vestibule  is  the  janitor's  room.  From  the  rear  of  the 
work  room  there  is  the  service  stairway,  which  connects  with 
the  catalogue  room  on  the  main  floor. 

Directly  back  of  the  main  hall  and  opening  from  it  by  three 
large  double  doors  is  the  auditorium,  with  a  seating  capacity  of 
about  400  people,  and  an  outside  exit  on  each  side  of  the  build- 
ing through  small  rear  vestibules.  Back  of  the  auditorium  are 
the  rooms  for  the  heating  plant,  with  entrance  to  the  service 
driveway. 

Going  back  to  the  main  entrance,  one  ascends  from  the  land- 
ing by  a  short  flight  of  stairs  to  the  level  of  the  first  floor.  Here 
at  the  left  is  a  drinking  fountain.  Four  swinging  doors  with 
windows  in  the  upper  half  lead  into  the  delivery  room.  The 
coloring  of  the  side  walls  and  ceilings  on  this  entire  floor  is  a 
light  cream,  and  the  floor  is  carpeted  with  the  best  grade  of 
cork  carpet  of  a  dark  brown  shade  to  match  the  woodwork. 
The  light  fixtures  are  of  antique  copper. 

The  delivery  room  is  40  feet  long  by  18  feet  wide.     Extend- 

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CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

ing  from  it  directly  in  front  is  the  broad  corridor  leading  to  the 
stack  room,  and  at  either  end  are  the  arches  opening  into  the 
reading  room  and  the  children's  room.  These  arches  are  13  feet 
in  length  and  are  beautiful  in  curve  and  proportion,  making  a 
fine  vista  from  side  to  side  of  the  building.  The  delivery  room 
is  panelled  with  oak  to  the  height  of  7  feet,  and  these  panels  form 
a  good  background  for  the  one  or  two  bits  of  statuary. 

The  reading  room,  which  occupies  the  front  left  corner  of  the 
building,  is  48  X  23  feet.  An  alcove,  18  x  9  feet,  opens  from 
it.  This  has  a  glass  partition  looking  into  the  delivery  room, 
which  enables  the  alcove  to  be  commanded  from  the  delivery 
desk.  The  reading  room  has  a  large  window-seat  built  into  the 
bay  window  at  each  end  of  the  room ;  it  has  moveable  shelving 
7  feet  high,  all  the  way  around  the  room,  except  under  the  win- 
dows, where  it  runs  4  feet  high.  The  bound  files  of  periodicals 
are  shelved  here.  The  tables  are  round,  5  feet  in  diameter  and 
29  inches  high.  In  the  alcove  is  one  long  table  8  X  3^  feet. 
The  rack  for  current  periodicals  is  built  into  the  space  between 
the  two  archways  leading  into  the  alcove  and  the  delivery  room, 
and  is  panelled  above  to  bring  it  on  a  line  with  the  shelving. 

The  children's  room  has  the  same  general  shape  and  dimen- 
sions as  the  reading  room  and  is  located  in  the  opposite  front 
corner  of  the  building.  A  cloak  and  wash  room  occupies  some 
of  the  space  at  the  rear.  This  end  of  the  room  has  solid  shelv- 
ing across  instead  of  a  bay  window,  as  in  the  reading  room.  The 
shelving  runs  5  feet  high,  and  above  is  a  frieze  made  of  the  pic- 
tures from  the  Walter  Crane  picture  books,  each  story  framed 
by  itself  with  a  panel  between  each  picture.  The  effect  of  the 
beautiful  coloring  of  the  frieze  above  the  dark  woodwork  is 
very  decorative.  In  the  alcove  are  placed,  also,  the  chil- 
dren's catalogue,  a  picture  file,  and  a  dictionary  stand.  In 
the  room  itself  only  round  tables  are  used,  these  being  4  feet  in 
diameter  and  28  inches  high.  One  round  table,  6  feet  in  diameter 
and  22  inches  high,  is  provided  for  the  very  little  people.  The 
charging  desk  was  especially  designed  for  the  room.  It  is  7  feet 
long,  2  feet  wide,  30  inches  high,  and  is  fitted  out  with  special 
drawers  and  shelves. 

The  delivery  corridor  is  30  X  23  feet.  It  occupies  the  center 
of  the  building  and  is  lighted  by  means  of  a  light-well  on  the 
second  floor  with  a  skylight  above.     The  large  octagonal  desk  is 

158 


WISCONSIN    AND    THE    MIDDLE   WEST 

pushed  well  up  toward  the  front,  leaving  the  rear  of  the  corridor 
for  the  card  catalogue,  and  tables  and  inclined  cases  for  the  dis- 
play of  books. 

The  reference  room  is  just  back  of  the  reading  room  and  is 
entered  from  the  delivery  room  and  the  rear  of  the  delivery  cor- 
ridor. It  is  28  X  18  feet,  has  glass  partitions  above  3-foot  shelv- 
ing for  its  inside  walls,  special  roller  shelving  for  atlases,  etc., 
and  is  furnished  with  long  tables  8  X  3^  feet,  set  at  regular 
intervals. 

To  the  right  of  the  delivery  corridor  are  the  librarian's  office, 
19  x  12  feet,  and  the  catalogue  room,  19  X  14  feet.  These  rooms 
both  have  glass  partitions  above  3-foot  shelving  for  the  inner 
walls.  The  catalogue  room,  besides  shelving,  has  cupboards 
for  supplies,  and  a  small  coat  closet  for  the  use  of  the  staff.  A 
door  in  the  front  of  the  room  leads  into  the  service  stairway, 
which  from  here  goes  down  to  the  work  room  in  the  basement 
and  up  to  the  staff  room  on  the  second  floor.  The  book-lift 
opens  into  this  entry,  and  here  there  is  also  a  lavatory  for 
the  staff. 

The  stack  room  is  at  the  rear  and  extends  across  the  entire 
width  of  the  building.  It  is  61  feet  long  by  22  feet  deep.  There 
are  nine  double-faced  steel  stacks  15  feet  long,  leaving  a  5-foot 
aisle  between  each  two,  and  leaving  a  window  at  the  end  of  each 
aisle.  Wall  shelving  is  also  put  in  under  the  glass  partitions 
looking  into  the  librarian's  office  and  the  reference  room.  Space 
for  a  triple  stack  is  provided,  the  one  in  present  use  on  the  main 
floor  being  the  middle  one  of  the  three. 

The  stairway  to  the  second  floor  goes  up  on  either  side  of  the 
hallway  to  a  landing  halfway  up.  From  this  landing  open  two 
doors,  —  one  into  a  large  storage  closet,  and  the  other  into  a 
public  telephone  booth.  From  here  a  single,  broad  flight  car- 
ries the  ascent  to  the  second  floor.  On  either  side,  at  the  head 
of  the  stairs,  is  a  small  supply  closet  and  janitor's  sink. 

From  the  stairway  the  entrance  is  immediately  into  the  exhi- 
bition hall.  This  is  40  X  20  feet,  is  lighted  by  a  skylight,  and 
is  wired  for  special  trough  lighting  along  the  side  walls.  At  the 
right  end  a  door  leads  into  the  club  room,  which  is  39  X  23 
feet.  This  room  connects  in  the  rear  with  the  staff  room.  At 
the  opposite  end  of  the  exhibition  hall  is  another  room,  43  x 
23  feet,  which,  by  a  folding  panel  in  the  middle,  can  be  made 

159 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

into  two  rooms.  This  was  done  in  order  that  the  rooms  might 
be  available  as  lecture  rooms  for  the  library  school.  At  either 
end  of  the  exhibition  hall  the  space,  19  X  9  feet,  which  runs 
back  toward  the  front  of  the  building  directly  over  the  two 
alcoves  on  the  floor  below,  is  made  into  cloak  rooms  for  the  use 
of  clubs  and  the  students  of  the  library  school. 

The  space  just  back  of  the  exhibition  hall,  over  the  delivery 
corridor,  is  occupied  by  the  light-well.  The  corridor,  5  feet 
in  width,  surrounds  the  light-well.  The  wall  space,  lighted  by 
the  skylight,  offers  an  excellent  opportunity  for  picture  exhibits. 
Wiring  for  special  trough  lighting  has  also  been  provided 
here.  The  staff  room  occupies  the  space  over  the  catalogue 
room,  with  which  it  connects  by  means  of  the  service  stairway. 
The  book-lift  also  comes  up  here.  The  room  is  fitted  up  with 
cupboards,  drawers,  sink,  and  gas  heater. 

The  lavatory  and  library  school  office  occupy  the  space  over 
the  librarian's  office,  the  library  school  revision  room  the  space 
over  the  reference  room,  and  the  library  school  work  room  the 
space  over  the  stack  room.  All  of  these  rooms  —  the  staff 
room,  lavatory,  and  library  school  office,  revision  and  school 
rooms  —  open  on  to  the  corridor  surrounding  the  light-well. 

Early  in  1901,  while  the  press  was  relating  the  munificence 

of  Mr.  Carnegie  in  offering  to  establish  free  public  libraries  in 

such  towns  and  cities  as  should  meet  his  conditions, 

Elkhart 

Mr.  A.  H.  Beardsley  and  Mr.  George  B.  Pratt,  real- 
izing the  need  of  a  library  in  Elkhart,  Indiana,  as  well  as  the 
general  desire  for  and  probable  pride  of  its  citizens  in  such  an 
agency  of  intellectual  development,  decided  to  visit  Mr.  Car- 
negie and  to  solicit  in  the  name  of  the  community  a  generous 
contribution.  They  prepared  for  the  undertaking  by  securing 
from  each  councilman  a  pledge  in  writing  to  vote  for  an  annual 
appropriation  of  $3,500  and  to  give  the  site  of  the  old  city  hall 
and  fire  station  for  library  purposes.  In  addition  they  compiled 
statistics  showing  the  taxable  property  of  the  city,  and  the  im- 
portance of  the  city  to  the  adjacent  community.  Thus  armed 
they  went  to  New  York  City  to  present  their  cause  personally 
to  Mr.  Carnegie.  In  his  absence,  however,  they  were  received 
by  his  secretary,  who  in  a  two-minute  interview  ascertained 
their  wishes  and  made  some  suggestions  as  to  the  preparation 
of  data.     Acting  upon  these  suggestions  the  committee  made 

1C0 


WISCONSIN    AND    THE    MIDDLE   WEST 

certain  revisions,  and  later  that  day  left  their  documents  in  evi- 
dence at  the  Carnegie  home,  returning  to  Elkhart  in  a  state  of 
hopeful  uncertainty.  To  their  great  joy  a  letter  was  received 
on  March  8  containing  a  promise  of  $30,000,  which  was  later 
increased  to  $35,000,  if  the  city  would  raise  $3,500  annually  by 
taxation. 

Mr.  Carnegie's  gift  was  unanimously  accepted,  legal  prelimi- 
naries were  entered  into,  the  required  official  body  appointed, 
and  the  work  begun.  The  choice  of  a  site  for  the  library  was  a 
happy  one,  located  as  it  is  near  both  the  geographical  center 
and  the  center  of  population  of  the  city.  The  setting  of  lawn, 
the  trees  at  the  side  and  front, —in  fact,  all  the  surroundings 
were  attractive.  The  impression  of  the  exterior  of  the  building, 
when  finished,  was  perhaps  more  massive  than  the  length  of 
line  and  height  of  building  would  naturally  give,  but  to  the  eye 
the  effect  is  very  satisfactory.  The  building  is  of  Indiana 
dressed  stone.  On  the  front  looking  toward  the  west  is  a  pedi- 
ment with  molded  ornament,  supported  at  the  two  ends  by 
square  pillars  and  in  the  center  by  two  Ionic  columns;  the 
panels  at  the  sides  of  the  portals  are  also  ornamented  with  Greek 
moldings,  the  recess  from  the  columns  to  the  main  entrance 
giving  to  the  front  a  perspective  which  is  highly  pleasing.  The 
side  walls  are  of  plain  stone,  but  varied  with  panel  projections 
which  give  a  massive  appearance  and  at  the  same  time  relieve 
the  building  from  the  charge  of  plainness.  The  approach  is  of 
heavy  granite,  curving  to  the  street  in  a  widening  path.  The 
street  entrance  is  ornamented  by  two  large  electric  lamps. 

Passing  through  the  marble  vestibule  into  the  rotunda  the 
separation  from  the  alcoves  is  made  by  a  combination  of  high 
settees  and  bookcases.  Between  the  alcoves  and  the  individual 
rooms  are  double-faced  bookcases.  A  circling  counter  separates 
the  rotunda  from  the  stack  room.  To  the  right  is  the  children's 
alcove,  on  one  side  of  which  is  the  librarian's  room,  on  the 
other  a  reading  alcove.  The  reference  library  is  at  the  left  of 
the  main  book  room.  There  is  also  a  reference  room  for  pupils 
of  the  schools  and  a  periodical  alcove.  .At  the  sides  of  the 
vestibule  leading  from  the  rotunda  are  stairways  to  the  base- 
ment, which  contains  a  lecture  room,  fuel  room,  and  lavatories. 

In  dedicating  the  new  library,  the  first  large  benefaction 
Elkhart  had  ever  received,  President  Beardsley  said  in  part: 

161 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

"  In  turning  this  library  over  to  you,  Mr.  Mayor,  as  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  municipality,  I  wish  to  emphasize  in  large  capi- 
tals, and  with  vehement  voice,  the  sentiment  that  this  is  a  public 
gift  to  the  public,  the  whole  public,  without  any  limitation.  It 
is  not  for  the  few,  it  is  not  for  the  privileged,  it  is  not  in  any 
respect  a  gift  to  class,  either  fortunate  or  unfortunate.  It  is 
without  respect  of  persons,  without  respect  of  condition,  without 
respect  of  birth,  of  nationality,  of  color,  or  age.  The  only  limita- 
tions put  upon  its  use  are  such  as  the  parent  puts  upon  the 
child,  and  the  public  executive  upon  the  citizen,  a  suggestion 
of  care  in  the  use  of  books,  their  proper  return  under  the  rules 
of  the  library,  but  entirely  without  cost  to  anyone.  ...  I  hope 
that  the  frequent  visiting  of  these  halls,  the  reading  of  the  books 
which  tell  of  the  past  and  the  present,  the  perusal  of  the  poetry 
and  philosophy  which  the  art  preservative  of  all  arts  has  here 
enshrined,  shall  be  a  constant  stimulus  to  a  betterment  of  our 
common-school  facilities,  to  a  desire  for  a  better  understand- 
ing of  social  and  political  conditions,  and  shall  be  a  constant 
impulse  to  higher  tastes  and  more  refined  pleasures  in  the 
community." 

The  history  of  efforts  to  obtain  a  library  in  Freeport,  Illinois, 
is  almost  identical  with  that  of  Elkhart.  Early  in  the  year 
1901,  a  group  of  men  and  women,  eager  to  further 
the  educational  advantages  of  their  home  city,  deter- 
mined, if  possible,  to  be  enrolled  on  the  list  of  Mr.  Carnegie's 
benefactions.  To  this  end  a  committee  of  citizens  appealed  to 
him  by  letter,  and  as  a  result  received  his  offer  of  $30,000, 
with  the  usual  conditions.  At  a  public  meeting  called  for  the 
consideration  of  the  proposition,  the  presidents  of  the  five  local 
banks  were  appointed  a  committee  to  accept  the  offer  in  behalf 
of  the  people  of  Freeport,  and  to  receive  contributions  from  in- 
dividuals toward  the  purchase  of  a  site  for  the  building.  The 
site  finally  chosen  was  bought  for  the  sum  of  $9,000.  To  meet 
the  payments  of  this  purchase  bonds  were  issued,  redeemable  by 
a  tax  levy  for  three  successive  years.  The  plans  and  specifica- 
tions submitted  by  Patton  &  Miller  of  Chicago  were  accepted  in 
June,  and  in  August  contracts  were  let  for  the  erection  of  the 
building,  which  was  begun  the  following  month.  The  building  is 
of  dark-colored  paving  brick  with  white  stone  trimmings.  The 
wide  portico  is  guarded  by  massive  pillars  of  white  stone.  From 
the  front  hallway  one  steps  into  the  delivery  room,  which  occupies 
the  central  portion  of  the  main  floor.     From  here  a  view  of  the 

162 


WISCONSIN   AND    THE    MIDDLE    WEST 

entire  floor  is  possible,  as  there  are  no  partitions  between  the 
rooms.  At  the  right  is  a  commodious  general  reading  room, 
opening  into  a  reference  alcove  made  particularly  attractive  by  a 
large  fireplace.  A  children's  reading  room  and  another  refer- 
ence room  occupy  the  corresponding  space  at  the  left  of  the  en- 
trance. Back  of  the  delivery  room  are  eight  ranges  of  stacks, 
grouped  in  fan  shape.  To  these  the  patrons  are  allowed  free 
access.  In  the  corners,  at  the  rear  of  the  stacks,  accommodations 
are  provided  for  the  cataloguer  and  the  librarian.  Twenty-two 
windows  in  the  stack  room  and  sixteen  in  the  other  rooms  of  the 
first  floor  leave  nothing  to  be  desired  in  the  way  of  light.  The 
scheme  of  decoration  is  attractive  and  restful,  dark  green  and 
tan  prevailing.  The  furniture,  stairways,  and  interior  woodwork 
throughout  the  building  are  of  oak.  The  floors  are  laid  with 
heavy  cork  carpet.  The  upper  floor  contains  a  hall,  a  lecture 
room,  art  gallery,  seminar,  room  for  trustees,  and  a  stack  room. 
One  room  of  the  basement  is  fitted  up  for  public  documents 
and  newspaper  files.  A  hall,  assembly  room,  stock  and  work 
room,  fuel  and  boiler  rooms  are  also  in  the  basement. 

For  some  years  a  struggling  little  library  in  Streator,  Illinois, 
weathered  the  indifference  and  apathy  of  its  citizens,  being  sup- 
ported and  maintained  on  the  subscription  plan  by  a 

r  a       ,  1       i  i  .  Streator. 

group  of  women.  At  length,  however,  the  city  au- 
thorities awakened  to  a  sense  of  responsibility,  and  in  1899  agreed 
to  take  over  the  books  and  furniture  of  the  association,  housing 
it  more  suitably  and  assessing  a  tax  for  its  support.  The  library 
prospered  to  such  a  degree  that  it  soon  outgrew  its  recently 
acquired  quarters.  At  this  point  Colonel  Ralph  Plumb,  always 
an  ardent  friend  of  education,  secured  permission  from  the  li- 
brary board  to  ask  Mr.  Carnegie  for  a  contribution  of  $35,000. 
In  due  time  a  new  library  became  an  assured  thing,  and  the  com- 
pleted building  was  opened  to  its  friends  early  in  1903.  One  of 
the  first  definite  results  noted  after  the  library's  removal  into  its 
larger  and  more  attractive  quarters  was  the  great  increase  in 
interest  and  patronage  among  the  young  people. 

The  cornerstone  of  the  $10,000  Carnegie  library  building  at 
Kaukana,  Wisconsin,  was  laid  July   19,    1905,  with  appropriate 
ceremonies,  Dr.  H.  B.  Tanner  making  the  principal 
address,  and  the  history  of  the  library,  written  by 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Dayton,  being  deposited  in  the  stone.     The  li- 

163 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

brary  dates  from  March,  1899,  when  the  common  council  passed 
the  necessary  ordinance  at  the  request  of  Dr.  Tanner  and  the 
Women's  Club.  The  first  funds  consisted  of  $500  from  the  city, 
$21  from  business  men,  and  $113  from  the  Women's  Club.  The 
library  was  established  in  the  police  station  and  opened  to  the 
public  in  November,  1899,  with  690  books. 

The  present  building  is  located  on  a  site  donated  by  the  Green 
Bay  &  Mississippi  Canal  Company.  It  is  of  pleasing  design,  in 
late  English  Gothic  style,  with  local  stone  basement  and  Bedford 
stone  trimmings.  The  walls  above  the  basement  are  of  deep  red 
paving  brick,  the  gables  being  half-timbered  and  plastered  with 
rough  cast.  The  windows  are  high  in  the  front  of  the  building 
but  low  on  the  ends,  securing  the  best  view  of  the  river.  The 
first  story  of  the  building  contains  a  reading  and  book  room, 
reference  room,  children's  room  and  librarian's  office.  In  the 
basement  are  an  assembly  room,  34  X  20  feet,  and  a  class  room, 
20  X  17  feet. 

Baraboo,  Wisconsin,  named  after  Barabeau,  an  early  French 
trapper,  situated  near  Devil's  Lake,  a  favorite  summer  resort, 
Baraboo  ^as  a  P°Pulati°n  °f  more  than  6,000.  It  is  the  home 
of  factories,  mills,  and  various  other  industries  that 
combine  to  make  it  one  of  the  most  prosperous  municipalities 
in  central  Wisconsin.  Baraboo's  interest  in  library  matters  dates 
back  to  1885,  when  a  meeting  was  called  in  the  court-house  for 
the  purpose  of  arousing  public  interest  in  behalf  of  such  an  ed- 
ucational center.  Ten  years  later  the  library  became  a  corpora- 
tion. In  1897  it  passed  into  the  control  of  the  city  and  was 
housed  in  the  city  hall,  with  1,500  volumes  on  its  shelves.  The 
years  which  followed  saw  consistent  progress  in  the  work  of  the 
library  and  larger  quarters  became  a  necessity.  One  of  the  Board 
members  wrote  to  Mr.  Carnegie,  and  after  considerable  corre- 
spondence an  offer  of  $15,000  was  made  by  him  to  the  city  of 
Baraboo  and  was  accepted. 

The  building,  dedicated  in  1903,  is  of  classical  design,  one 
story  high,  with  a  basement  occupying  a  space  of  62  X  72  feet. 
It  is  of  Bedford  cream  limestone  and  orange  Roman  brick,  sur- 
mounted by  a  red  tile  roof.  The  interior  is  finished  in  quarter- 
sawed  oak.  The  basement  is  10  feet  high  in  the  clear,  and 
contains  two  adjoining  club  rooms,  unpacking  rooms,  boiler  room, 
vault,  and  lavatories.     The  first   story  is   13  feet  in  the  clear. 

164 


Claude  &  si. 


c,  Architei  rs,  Madison,  Wis. 

BARABOO,    WISCONSIN 


i  i  .mi  ii    &  Starck,   Architects,  Madison,  Wis. 

KAUKAU  NA,  WISCONS I N 


r)D5T  n_OOQ 


BAR  IBOO,  w  ISCONS1  N 


WISCONSIN    AND    THE    MIDDLE   WEST 

The  plan  is  of  the  simplest,  —  center  entrance,  delivery  room  in 
center,  with  stack  room  in  the  rear.  The  reading  room,  with 
reference  alcove,  is  on  the  left,  the  librarian's  room  at  the  right. 
The  book  capacity,  all  in  wall  shelving,  is  about  8,000  volumes, 
with  floor  space  for  stack  cases  holding  5,000  more  volumes. 
Free  access  is  allowed.  The  building,  designed  by  Claude  & 
Starck,  shows  what  can  be  built  for  $15,000,  properly  spent 


165 


CHAPTER    XIV 

IOWA   AND   THE   FARTHER   WEST 

Carnegie  Libraries  in  Iowa  —  Monticello,  Marshalltown,  and  Eldora 
as  Typical  of  Small  Libraries  designed  by  Patton  &  Miller  — 
Davenport,  Iowa  —  Leavenworth,  Kansas  —  Lincoln,  Nebraska  — 
Springfield  and  Sedalia,  Missouri. 

IOWA  has  been  for  many  years  one  of  the  leading  states  in 
point  of  numbers  of  Carnegie  library  buildings  erected. 
The  first  report  of  the  Iowa  Library  Commission,  after 
speaking  of  library  progress  in  the  State  and  touching  on  the 
general  movement  throughout  the  country  in  favor  of  free  pub- 
lic libraries,  continues  with  these  words: 

"  The  liberality  of  Mr.  Carnegie  in  erecting  library  build- 
ings, both  in  this  country  and  abroad,  has  undoubtedly  given 
an  impetus  to  the  library  movement  that  it  might  not  other- 
wise have  had.  While  the  public  library  would  undoubtedly 
have  grown  in  strength  because  of  its  recognized  service  to 
the  community  in  the  higher  development  of  the  people,  never- 
theless, the  proffer  of  a  building  for  housing  a  library  serves  as 
an  incentive  in  many  communities  to  establish  a  library.  In 
this  connection  it  may  be  said  that  the  confusion  arising  in  the 
minds  of  many  persons  regarding  the  Carnegie  library  build- 
ings, is  their  inability  to  distinguish  between  the  free  public 
library  as  an  institution,  created  under  the  State  law,  providing 
a  growing  collection  of  books  for  the  free  use  of  the  people, 
and  Mr.  Carnegie's  proposition  to  provide  a  building  wherein  to 
house  these  books.  In  our  State,  the  free  public  library  exists 
as  a  reality  and  as  an  influence  in  the  community,  because  the 
State  of  Iowa  years  ago  provided  by  law  for  its  establishment 
and  maintenance  by  a  municipal  tax,  whether  it  is  in  rented 
rooms  or  in  a  building  of  its  own." 

Inasmuch  as  the  establishing  of  a  free  public  library  involves 
the  question  of  increasing  the  tax  levy,  it  therefore  falls  within 
the  class  of  public  questions  on  which  the  women  of  Iowa  are 
entitled  to  vote.  Needless  to  say,  when  they  have  exercised 
their  prerogative  in  this  matter  their  vote  has  almost  invariably 

166 


IOWA   AND    THE    FARTHER   WEST 

been  in  favor  of  the  establishment  of  the  library.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  compare  the  vote  of  the  men  and  women  of  Clinton,  for 
example,  on  the  question  of  the  establishment  of  a  free  public 
library  in  that  town,  occasioned  by  the  receipt  of  Mr.  Carnegie's 
offer  of  $30,000  for  a  building. 

In  favor  of  the  library,  men,  2363 

"     "       "     "       "        women,  1356 

37l9 

Against  the  proposition,  men,  1088 

"        "  "  women,  172 

1260 

These  figures  show  two  men  voting  for  the  library  project  to 
one  man  against  it.  On  the  other  hand,  the  women  favoring 
the  establishment  of  the  library  outnumber  those  opposed  to  it 
by  eight  to  one.  In  Monticello,  the  vote  in  favor  of  a  free  pub- 
lic library  stood  three  to  one,  counting  the  women's  vote,  but  only 
two  to  one  when  the  male  vote  alone  was  counted.  The  ques- 
tion of  a  library  tax  levy  to  enable  Ottumwa  to  accept  Mr.  Car- 
negie's offer  of  a  $50,000  building  was  voted  upon  by  both  men 
and  women,  and  was  carried  by  a  narrow  margin  through  the 
vigorous  support  of  the  women.  The  opponents  of  the  library 
proposition  thereupon  brought  suit  on  the  grounds  that  the 
election  was  illegal  because  the  voting  of  women  was  uncon- 
stitutional. A  decision  in  favor  of  the  complainants  was  ren- 
dered on  the  ground  that,  although  the  statute  gives  women  the 
right  to  vote  at  such  elections,  the  constitution  does  not  recog- 
nize as  voters  any  except  male  adult  citizens.  Although  it  was 
held  that  the  election  was  one  authorized  by  law,  and  therefore 
recognized  by  the  constitution,  women,  not  being  recognized  by 
the  constitution  as  voters,  had  therefore  no  right  to  vote  in  this 
election.  The  announcement  of  this  decision  resulted  in  the 
holding  of  a  public  meeting  at  which  those  interested  in  the  li- 
brary movement  passed  resolutions  in  favor  of  petitioning  the 
city  council  to  call  another  election  for  voting  on  the  library 
proposition.  The  library  committee  stated  that  "  at  such  second 
election  it  is  the  intention  not  to  deny  the  right  of  any  woman 
to  vote  at  the  respective  booths.  Were  the  proposed  vote  of 
any  woman  rejected,  the  parties  who  have  heretofore  in  court 

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CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

denied  the  right  of  women  to  vote  at  such  election  would,  it  is 
suggested,  not  hesitate  to  take  the  opposite  ground  and  seek  to 
declare  such  election  illegal  because  the  women  had  not  been 
permitted  to  vote.  The  ballots  of  the  men  and  women  being 
kept  separate,  should  the  male  vote  carry  the  election,  as  it  is 
fully  believed  they  will  do,  it  would  not  be  essential  to  count  the 
vote  of  the  women  in  the  event  of  litigation."  The  second  elec- 
tion resulted  In  the  library  proposition  being  carried  by  almost 
500  majority,  of  which  272  votes  were  cast  by  men.  A  strong 
effort  to  defeat  the  measure  had  been  made  by  those  opposed 
to  the  library,  but  the  fact  that  men  cast  a  majority  of  the  de- 
ciding votes  settled  further  legal  question  of  the  validity  of  the 
election.  Men  alone  were  allowed  to  vote  on  the  library 
question  at  Shenandoah. 

If  public  spirit  and  enthusiasm  mean  anything  to  a  library, 

the  Monticello  Public  Library  should  in  time  be  one  of  the  best 

of  its  size  in  the  State.     From  the  first  the  citizens  of 

Monticello. 

this  prosperous  town  have  shown  the  greatest  earnest- 
ness in  all  civic  affairs  and  have  given  to  the  library  movement 
their  heartiest  support.  At  the  laying  of  the  cornerstone  of 
the  new  Carnegie  library  building,  Mrs.  S.  F.  Dunham  outlined 
the  history  of  the  Monticello  Library  Society,  organized  by  a 
group  of  public-spirited  women  in  1868.  "  Our  Society,"  said 
Mrs.  Dunham,  "  was  founded  on  a  broad  basis,  regardless  of 
church  or  creed.  Every  woman  who  could  pay  25  cents  and 
bake  a  cake,  make  good  coffee,  and  cook  oysters  was  most  cor- 
dially welcomed,  and  the  women,  old  friends,  and  newcomers 
joined  us  until  we  had  72  members." 

The  spirit  animating  the  whole  of  the  exercises  at  the  corner- 
stone laying  is  so  enthusiastic  and  refreshing,  so  full  of  good  pre- 
cept from  which  other  towns  might  profit,  that  we  venture  to 
quote  at  considerable  length  from  Mr.  J.  W.  Doxsee's  address 
on  "The  Monticello  of  the  Past." 

"The  laying  of  the  cornerstone  of  this  proposed  library  build- 
mg  is  an  event  that  marks  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  Monti- 
cello. The  history  of  this  town  is  short  —  only  two  thirds  of  a 
century,  less  than  the  allotted  years  of  man  —  but  it  is  a  history 
of  labor,  honor,  and  achievement.  It  is  within  the  memory  of 
people  now  living  that  the  early  pioneers  came  into  the  wilds  of 
Iowa.     It  may  even  be  said  that  at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  your 

168 


IOWA   AND    THE    FARTHER    WEST 

honored  chairman  (Major  S.  S.  Farwell)  the  sound  of  the  pio- 
neer's ax  had  never  been  heard  within  the  limits  of  the  confines 
of  this  county,  and  neither  spade  nor  plow  had  turned  an  inch 
of  soil  where  now  millions  of  people  reap  and  sow  in  the  agri- 
cultural garden  of  the  world. 

"  This  little  town,  located  as  it  is  within  a  day's  walk  of  the 
greatest  river  in  the  world,  has  had  a  life-history  like  unto  an 
hundred  others  in  this  great  commonwealth.  That  history,  how- 
ever, should  be  dear  to  our  people  and  it  should  be  preserved 
for  the  information  and  satisfaction  of  our  children.  Its  exist- 
ence marks  the  space  of  little  more  than  two  generations.  The 
first  generation  of  its  life  might  be  termed  its  pioneer  period. 
During  that  pioneer  period  its  early  settlers  were  enduring  priva- 
tions that  their  children  cannot  comprehend.  They  endured  the 
greatest  of  hardships  in  their  efforts  to  subdue  wild  nature  and 
prepare  it  for  the  advent  of  civilization.  The  people  of  the  sec- 
ond generation  of  the  life  of  this  town  were  engaged  in  making 
money  and  the  amassing  of  wealth.  They  had  altogether  too 
little  time  for  the  more  refining  processes  of  civilization  and 
they  paid  too  little  attention  to  the  preservation  of  the  early 
history  of  this  community.  The  third  generation  is  well  under 
way,  and  let  us  hope  that  it  will  produce  people  who,  because  of 
the  wealth  and  prosperity  of  the  town,  have  the  time  and  will 
give  sufficient  of  their  leisure  to  take  note  of  the  time  that  has 
passed  and  make  some  record  of  those  early  events  before  those 
who  link  this  time  with  that  shall  have  carried  their  remem- 
brance into  the  silence  of  the  tomb. 

"  I  want  this  library  to  be  more  than  its  name  implies.  I 
want  to  see  its  affairs  so  conducted  that  it  will  not  only  be  a 
library,  a  collection  of  books  where  our  people  can  have  access 
to  the  history  and  literature  of  all  times,  but  I  want  to  see  it  a 
memorial  hall  where  there  shall  be  preserved  the  records  and 
memories  that  tell  us  of  the  heroic  struggles  of  those  men  and 
women  who  first  builded  their  homes  on  the  camp  grounds  of 
the  Indians,  even  while  the  ashes  of  the  campfires  were  still 
gray.  I  want  it  to  be  a  repository  of  local  historical  data  that 
will  teach  our  children  something  of  the  early  history  of  the 
town  in  which  they  live.  It  is  a  lamentable  fact  that  our  school 
children  can  tell  more  about  the  history  of  Plymouth  and  of  the 
early  settlements  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  than  they  can  of  the 
early  settlements  of  the  little  town  where  they  were  born  and 
where  many  of  them  will  spend  their  lives. 

"  In  order,  however,  that  there  be  a  better  history  of  Monti- 
cello  than  we  now  have,  there  must  be  a  further  record  of  the 

169 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

events  of  which  happily  there  are  still  a  few  witnesses.  We 
need  the  work  of  some  intelligent  man  or  woman  who  will  gather 
up  the  scraps  of  early  history  and  who  will  record  it  from  the 
lips  of  those  old  pioneers  who  are  rapidly  passing  away.  The 
work  must  be  done  speedily  if  it  be  done  at  all." 

The  growth  and  development  of  library  interests  in  Marshall- 
town  have  been  exceptionally  rapid.     In  1892  a  meeting  was 
called    by   the  Marshalltown  Women's  Club  with    a 

Marshalltown.      .  .  .  .  .  ,.,      ,„ 

view  to  arousing  sentiment  in  starting  a  public  library. 
At  this  meeting  a  committee  was  appointed  to  solicit  funds  for 
buying  books.  If  the  committee  should  succeed  in  raising 
$15,000,  this  was  to  be  regarded  as  sufficient  guarantee  for  push- 
ing the  project  and  opening  a  library  for  the  public  ;  if  the  speci- 
fied sum  could  not  easily  be  raised,  further  activity  was  to  be 
postponed  to  a  more  favorable  season. 

Results  more  than  justified  the  expectations  of  these  pioneers 
of  public  interest,  as  the  amount  was  speedily  forthcoming,  and 
then  doubled  in  a  surprisingly  short  space  of  time.  In  fact 
$3,400  was  subscribed  almost  immediately,  followed  by  the  for- 
mation of  a  stock  company  known  as  the  Marshall  County 
Library  Association.  Shares  were  offered  at  five  dollars  apiece. 
Ten  persons  took  twenty  shares  each,  others  subscribed  for  ten, 
five,  and  smaller  amounts.  The  county  officers,  likewise,  were 
not  lacking  in  public  spirit,  but  offered  the  use  of  a  room  in  the 
courthouse,  with  light  and  heat.  A  thousand  dollars  was  at 
once  expended  in  buying  books,  to  which  five  hundred  dollars' 
worth  was  added  during  the  first  year.  A  librarian  was 
appointed  and  the  library  was  kept  open  on  Wednesday  and 
Saturday  afternoons.  Though  the  association  was  still  on  a 
subscription  basis,  non-stockholders  had  the  privilege  of  buying 
book  cards  for  $2.50  per  year,  the  price  for  regular  holders  of 
stock  being  $1.50.  The  income  derived  from  this  source,  to- 
gether with  receipts  from  various  entertainments  which  the 
women  of  the  association  gave  from  time  to  time,  not  only  paid 
the  running  expenses  of  the  library,  but  also  made  annual  provi- 
sion for  new  books  to  the  extent  of  $500. 

Not  content,  however,  with  this  seemingly  comfortable  situa- 
tion, the  members  of  the  association  held  steadily  in  view  their 
ideal  of  a  public  library  free  to  all  citizens  of  Marshalltown. 
And  so,  after  some  years  of  activity,  the  association  at  length 

170 


DELIVERY  ROOM 


IOWA   AND    THE    FARTHER    WEST 

made  the  formal  offer  of  presenting  to  the  city  its  library  of 
nearly  4,000  volumes  together  with  $1,500  in  money,  provided 
that  the  people  would  vote  a  tax  to  maintain  it  as  a  free  public 
library.  The  matter  was  taken  up  with  vigor  by  the  city  federa- 
tion of  women's  clubs,  whose  members  did  excellent  work  in 
educating  public  opinion,  and  especially  in  bringing  the  women 
out  to  vote.  The  proposition  carried,  the  transfer  was  made  in 
August,  1898,  and  the  nucleus  of  the  present  library,  represent- 
ing much  labor  of  love  cheerfully  given  in  a  good  cause,  was 
intrusted  to  its  permanent  custodian.  On  the  following  month 
the  library  was  opened  to  the  public. 

Looking  for  aid  to  that  plenteous  source  whence  so  many 
library  gifts  have  flowed,  the  trustees  of  the  Marshalltown 
library  were  gladdened  by  the  announcement,  toward  the  close 
of  1901,  that  Mr.  Carnegie  had  offered  them  $25,000  for  a  new 
building.  To  this  generous  sum  the  donor  later  added  $5,000. 
The  lot  furnished  by  the  city  is  a  convenient  one,  at  the  corner 
of  State  and  Center  streets,  and  here  there  was  erected  a  sub- 
stantial and  commodious  building,  designed  by  Patton  &  Miller. 
In  general  arrangement,  fittings,  and  equipment  the  building  is 
well  arranged  for  effective  work.  It  is  an  interesting  specimen 
of  the  corner  entrance  type  of  building.  The  first  floor  contains 
a  reading  room,  children's  room,  study,  librarian's  room,  stack, 
delivery  rooms,  and  rotunda.  The  second  floor  has  a  lecture 
room  with  seating  capacity  for  175,  a  museum  fitted  up  by  the 
daughter  of  a  former  citizen  of  Marshalltown  as  a  memorial  to 
her  father,  and  rooms  for  society  meetings  and  the  like.  The 
library  has  one  permanent  bequest  of  $500,  interest  from  which 
is  added  to  the  book  fund. 

The  city  of  Eldora,  Iowa,  approached  Mr.  Carnegie  regarding 
the  possibilities  of  a  new  library  through  the  mayor,  Mr.  E.  D. 
Robb,  who  sent  his  request  by  letter.  The  conse- 
quent offer  of  $10,000  was  made  on  two  conditions: 
first,  that  a  suitable  site  should  be  secured ;  second,  that  the 
town,  through  its  council,  should  obligate  itself  to  raise  $1,000 
annually  for  library  maintenance.  In  the  winter  of  1901-2 
the  council  took  the  required  action  by  resolutions,  copies  of 
which  were  certified  and  forwarded  to  Mr.  Carnegie.  To  avoid 
any  questions  of  legality  an  election  was  held  under  the  Iowa 
law,  resulting  in  a  favorable    vote  by  the  people.     Owing   to 

171 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

certain  local  conditions  a  committee  consisting  of  one  member 
of  the  library  board,  one  member  of  the  city  council,  and  one 
citizen  was  appointed  as  a  building  committee.  A  site  front- 
ing on  the  courthouse  square  was  purchased  for  $2,000,  and, 
after  consultation  with  the  Iowa  Library  Commission,  Patton  & 
Miller  of  Chicago  were  selected  as  architects.  Money  with 
which  to  pay  for  the  site  was  appropriated  temporarily  from  the 
general  fund,  and  to  replace  it  a  three-mill  tax  for  two  years  was 
levied.  The  building,  which  stands  on  a  lot  slanting  back  from 
the  street,  is  one  story  above  the  basement  It  is  constructed 
of  Eldora  paving  brick,  partly  vitrified,  and  stone.  The  roof  is 
of  tile.     The  interior  of  the  library  is  especially  attractive. 

The  Carnegie  library  in  Davenport  is  the  natural  outgrowth 
of  the  Davenport  Library  Association,  which  had  for  years  main- 
tained a  subscription  library.  In  1899  Miss  Alice 
French,  perhaps  better  known  as  Octave  Thanet, 
being  a  resident  of  Davenport,  wrote  to  Mr.  Carnegie,  who  was  a 
personal  friend,  and  asked  him  to  aid  this  association.  His  reply 
was  the  characteristic  one.  He  would  give  $50,000  for  a  library 
building  if  the  city  would  purchase  a  suitable  site  and  appro- 
priate $4,000  a  year  for  its  maintenance.  The  Davenport  city 
fathers  were  an  example  of  cheerfulness  and  dispatch.  They 
unanimously  accepted  the  offer,  and  on  April  7,  1900,  the  citizens 
voted  a  tax  of  one-fourth  of  a  mill  on  the  dollar  on  the  assessed 
valuation  of  the  city,  to  pay  for  a  site,  with  an  annual  tax  of 
half  a  mill  for  maintenance,  thus  providing  an  income  of 
$7,181.92  for  the  library,  almost  double  the  amount  required  by 
Mr.  Carnegie's  terms.  The  trustees  were  no  sooner  appointed 
than  they  selected  a  site  within  two  blocks  of  the  business 
center  of  the  city,  costing  $19,200.  The  tax  levy  was  found 
to  be  insufficient  to  pay  for  the  site  and  the  city  council 
at  once  promptly  voted  the  balance  from  the  general  fund  of 
the  city. 

At  this  point  in  the  proceedings  it  was  decided  that  $50,000 
would  not  build  a  library  which  would  be  adequate  to  the  needs 
of  the  city.  A  second  appeal  was  made  to  Mr.  Carnegie, 
through  a  former  resident  of  Davenport,  Judge  John  F.  Dillon 
of  New  York  City.  The  appeal  took  the  form  of  two  letters, 
written  by  Mr.  B.  F.  Tillinghast,  editor  of  the  Davenport  Demo- 
crat, distinctly   and    forcibly   presenting  the  need  of  a  larger 

172 


Patton  &  Miller,  architects,  Chicago 

MONTICELLO,   IOWA 


PHOTO.    BY  C.   PAGE 


Patton  &  Miller,  Architects,  Chicago  Photo,  by  A    ].  \\ 

MARSHALLTOWN,    [( IWA 


Sf.cond  Floor  PLAN 


1  ikm    I  i  ■    Pi  v. 

MARSHALLTOWN,    IOWA 


Patton  8:  miller,  Architects,  chicac 


ELDORA,    IOWA 


INTERIOR  OF    ELDORA    LIBRARY 


KLDORA,  IOWA 


CtrceENCB 


Al'-S"X  I) 


£2  E- A.  0 1 M  <Ci    UOOH 


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M0N1  H  ELLO,    KAVA 


IOWA   AND   THE    FARTHER    WEST 

building  fund.  Mr.  Carnegie  was  asked  to  increase  his  gift  to 
$75,000.  This  he  consented  to  do,  on  condition  that  the  city 
provide  $7,500  for  annual  maintenance,  which  terms  were  readily 
accepted. 

But  now  the  first  of  a  series  of  difficulties  arose  to  try  this 
new  and  enterprising  Board  of  Trustees.  An  architectural  com- 
petition was  decided  upon,  circulars  were  sent  out,  and  notices 
published  in  the  newspapers  and  architectural  journals.  Three 
prizes  were  offered :  a  commission  of  five  per  cent  of  the  cost 
of  the  building  (which  was  not  to  exceed  $75,000)  to  the  suc- 
cessful architect,  and  two  cash  prizes  of  $150  and  $100  to 
the  architects  submitting  the  second  and  third  best  plans. 
Seventy-one  sets  of  plans  were  received,  —  and  then  the  trouble 
began.  About  four  weeks  had  been  spent  by  the  Board  in 
examining  the  plans,  when  it  was  decided  to  invite  Prof.  N. 
Clifford  Ricker,  professor  of  architecture  in  the  University 
of  Illinois,  to  appear  before  the  Board  to  give  his  expert  advice. 
Fifteen  plans  had  been  selected  to  lay  before  Professor  Ricker, 
who,  after  two  days'  study,  reported  that  in  his  judgment,  subject 
to  the  consideration  of  cost,  the  first  place  should  be  given  to 
the  plans  drawn  by  Mr.  R.  C.  Henry  of  Boston.  Next  to  these 
Professor  Ricker  placed  the  plans  submitted  by  Mr.  Calvin 
Kiessling  of  Boston.  Upon  further  investigation  it  was  found 
that  neither  plan  could  be  carried  out  with  the  money  available. 
The  Board  having  decided  that  it  would  not  be  advisable  to 
erect  a  building  with  less  ground  area  than  70  X  120  feet,  and 
that  it  would  be  necessary  to  leave  the  upper  story  or  basement 
unfinished  for  a  time,  Mr.  Kiessling's  plans  were  thought  to  be 
the  more  suitable  for  these  conditions,  and  he  was  accordingly 
employed  as  architect.  However,  with  the  plans  at  last  decided 
upon,  a  bid  of  $67,779  accepted,  and  everything  apparently  well 
started,  the  trouble  was  not  over.  The  building  company  failed 
to  stand  by  their  contract  and  owing  to  the  slowness  of  the 
bonding  company  all  work  on  the  building  was  suspended  for 
five  months.  Finally  bids  were  called  for  to  complete  the 
structure  according  to  the  architect's  plans,  the  lowest  being 
$10,000  in  excess  of  the  original  bid.  The  completed  building 
and  fine  equipment  amply  repay  the  Board  and  the  city  author- 
ities for  all  their  work  and  worry. 

The  building  measures  approximately  68  X  120  feet,  situated 

173 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

on  a  lot  96  X  150  feet  in  size.  The  building  is  of  Bedford  stone, 
practically  three  stories  in  height,  the  basement  being  only- 
five  feet  below  the  sidewalk  grade.  The  main  entrance  is  flanked 
on  either  side  by  Doric  columns,  and  the  carved  coronet  of  the 
doorway  is  set  off  by  a  panel  background  of  polished  red  marble. 
Glass  doors  at  the  left  in  the  vestibule  lead  to  the  stair  hall  and 
basement.  Three  marble  steps,  directly  in  front  of  the  main 
entrance,  lead  through  swinging  glass  doors  to  the  delivery  hall. 
The  delivery  hall  is  rectangular,  26  X  39  feet  in  size,  and  ex- 
tends up  through  the  second  story  to  a  large  skylight  in  the 
barrel-vaulted  ceiling.  To  the  left  of  the  delivery  hall  is  the 
general  reading  room,  25  X  60  feet.  This  room  occupies 
the  entire  north  end  of  the  main  floor  and  is  lighted  from  three 
sides.  Around  the  walls  run  bookcases  four  feet  high.  In  the 
alcove  entrance  to  the  reading  room  are  magazine  and  news- 
paper racks.  At  the  south  end  of  the  delivery  hall  is  a  large, 
curved  delivery  desk,  beyond  which  are  the  stacks.  These  oc- 
cupy a  space  corresponding  to  that  taken  up  by  the  general 
reading  room  on  the  other  side  of  the  building.  There  are  two 
tiers  of  stacks,  with  a  capacity  of  60,000  volumes.  Wide  aisles 
permit  of  tables  and  chairs  being  placed  here  for  readers  wish- 
ing to  study  or  consult  a  number  of  volumes.  Opening  off  the 
front  end  of  the  stack  room  and  conveniently  near  the  delivery 
desk  is  a  small  room  for  German  books  and  periodicals,  a  de- 
partment which  is  quite  popular  with  the  large  German  popu- 
lation of  the  city. 

An  attractive  entrance  into  the  basement  from  Fourth  Street 
gives  an  independent  approach  to  the  children's  department, 
which  occupies  two  rooms,  —  one  a  children's  room  proper, 
and  the  other  a  school  reference  room.  These  rooms  are  fitted 
with  low  bookcases  and  window  seats,  round  tables,  and  low 
chairs.  A  number  of  excellent  reproductions  for  the  walls  have 
been  given  by  friends  of  the  library.  There  are  also  in  the 
basement  well-lighted  rooms  for  public  documents  and  local 
historical  records,  service  rooms,  and  heating  plant.  The  heat- 
ing system  is  one  of  indirect  radiation,  augmented  by  the  use  of 
a  large  fan.  In  addition  to  electric  wiring,  the  entire  building 
is  piped  for  gas  in  case  necessity  demands  its  use.  On  the  sec- 
ond floor  there  is  a  lecture  hall,  two  fine  club  rooms,  an  exhibi- 
tion room,  a  trustees'  room,  and  a  staff  rest  room. 

174 


M.   K.  Sangli.net,  Ai 


ikl    WOK  111,    TEX.  PHOTO.   H\    11.   .S.  bl  h 

LEAVENWORTH,    KANSAS 


Fisher  &  Lawrie,  Ari  hitects,  Omaha,  Ni 


I'M.  i  |.  ..   BY  I  I  IRNELL   I  ni.k.w  IN' .  I 


LINCOLN,    XI  BR  \SRA 


IOWA   AND    THE   FARTHER   WEST 

Leavenworth,  Kansas,  owes  its  free  public  library  to  the  de- 
termined efforts  of  the  women's  clubs  of  that  city.  In  the  fall  of 
1 891;  each  club  was  asked  to  send  three  delegates  to 

...  r  r  .  Leavenworth. 

a  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  forming  an  organization 
which  should  work  toward  establishing  a  free  public  library. 
Six  clubs  responded  to  the  call  and  the  library  association  was 
organized,  two  other  clubs  joining  later.  As  no  funds  were 
available,  entertainments  were  given  in  order  to  raise  money 
with  which  to  make  a  beginning.  About  300  books  were 
given  by  the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union,  the  re- 
mains of  a  circulating  library  once  maintained  by  them,  and 
the  Whittier  Club  gave  150  new  books.  Others  were  pur- 
chased, so  that  when  the  library  was  opened  early  in  January 
in  a  small  room  in  the  Ryan  Building,  which  was  obtained 
rent  free,  there  were  on  the  shelves  between  seven  and  eight 
hundred  volumes,  chiefly  fiction.  An  annual  membership  fee 
of  one  dollar  was  charged,  since  it  was  necessary  to  begin  as 
a  subscription  library.  The  membership  rose  rapidly  to  300; 
but  this  gradually  dwindled  until  but  half  that  number  held 
cards.  In  the  fall  of  1896  the  library  was  moved  to  two  rooms 
in  the  courthouse,  where  light  and  heat  as  well  as  rent  were 
gratis ;  this  left  available  for  the  purchase  of  books  nearly  the 
whole  amount  received  from  the  sale  of  memberships.  One  of 
the  rooms  was  fitted  up  for  a  reading  room  and  the  library  was 
kept  open  for  several  hours  two  days  a  week.  The  librarian's 
services  were  voluntary,  many  of  the  club  members  assisting  in 
the  work.  In  these  quarters  it  remained  for  three  years,  when 
the  city  voted  a  tax  for  the  support  of  a  free  library  and  the 
local  federation  of  women's  clubs  undertook  to  raise  funds  for 
the  erection  of  a  building.  Some  $3,000,  secured  through  their 
efforts,  was  afterwards  used  in  furnishing  the  new  library.  The 
mayor  appointed  a  board  of  directors  consisting  of  twelve  mem- 
bers, six  of  whom  had  belonged  to  the  Library  Association.  In 
January,  1900,  the  books  and  furniture  of  the  former  library 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  new  board,  and  after  being  closed 
for  two  months  the  library  was  reopened  on  the  first  of  Feb- 
ruary. The  same  rooms  in  the  courthouse  were  used  and  the 
same  librarian  was  employed,  this  time  with  a  slight  remunera- 
tion. There  were  more  than  2,000  books  on  the  shelves,  and 
the  library  was  open  every  afternoon  and  evening. 

175 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

About  this  time  the  chairman  of  the  library  committee  of  the 
Board  of  Directors  had  opened  a  correspondence  with  Mr.  Car- 
negie, and  late  in  January  he  received  an  offer  of  $25,000  for  a 
library  building,  which  the  city  council  lost  no  time  in  accept- 
ing. The  gift  was  later  increased  to  $30,000.  For  the  purchase 
of  a  site  $3,200  was  raised  by  subscription,  and  a  desirable  loca- 
tion a  little  south  of  the  business  portion  of  the  city  was  secured. 
It  was  decided  to  receive  plans  by  competition,  and  those  of 
Mr.  M.  R.  Sanguinet  of  Fort  Worth  were  chosen  from  among 
the  dozen  submitted  for  inspection. 

On  May  1,  1902,  a  public  reception  was  held  in  the  new 
building,  which  signalized  the  fact  that  it  was  ready  for  patroM- 
age.  The  library  had  been  closed  for  nearly  five  months,  during 
which  time  it  was  completely  reorganized  and  the  decimal  clas- 
sification was  introduced. 

On  September  16,  1899,  a  disastrous  fire  destroyed  the  Ma- 
sonic Temple  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  and  with  it  all  the  possessions 
of  the  City  Library  and  Reading  Room  Association, 

Lincoln.  '  ,        "  ,  .  .... 

except  800  volumes,  which  were  in  circulation  at  the 
time.  On  the  following  day  the  library  board  reorganized, 
decided  to  retain  the  services  of  the  librarian,  and  to  open  an 
office  for  the  return  of  books.  Through  their  active  and  prompt 
measures  and  the  interest  and  support  of  the  citizens,  new  quar- 
ters for  the  library  were  soon  secured.  Several  thousand  vol- 
umes were  purchased,  with  the  insurance  on  the  library  property, 
and  many  new  books  and  magazines  were  donated.  The  work  of 
cataloguing  and  arranging  these  books  was  immediately  begun, 
and  the  library  once  more  opened  to  the  public  on  January  31, 
1900. 

Soon  after  the  fire,  friends  of  the  library  wrote  to  Mr.  Carne- 
gie, bringing  to  his  notice  the  calamity  which  had  befallen  it, 
and  on  January  2,  1900,  the  president  of  the  library  board  re- 
ceived word  that  Mr.  Carnegie  would  build  a  library  if  the  citi- 
zens of  Lincoln  would  donate  a  site.  The  letter-files  show  that 
this  gift  was  secured  largely  through  the  efforts  of  Mrs.  William 
J.  Bryan.  Money  for  the  site  was  soon  raised  by  popular  sub- 
scription, and  Mr.  Carnegie  notified  the  library  board  that  the 
sum  of  $75,000  had  been  deposited  to  their  credit,  to  be  drawn 
upon  as  the  building  proceeded.  Work  was  begun  on  December 
i,  and  the  completed  building  formally  opened  on  May  27,  1902. 

176 


IOWA   AND   THE   FARTHER   WEST 

In  designing  the  building  the  chief  considerations  were  ease 
and  economy  of  administration.  To  this  end  all  the  essential 
features  of  the  library  were  brought  together  on  the  main  floor, 
and  the  subsidiary  features  located  in  the  basement,  which  was 
developed  into  a  complete  story.  The  building  is  so  arranged 
that  it  will  be  possible  to  serve  a  gradually  increasing  patronage 
with  a  comparatively  slight  increase  in  the  cost  of  attendance. 
No  attempt  was  made  to  provide  permanently  for  museum,  art 
galleries,  and  lecture  rooms,  as  it  was  felt  that  these  could  be 
provided  better  elsewhere  in  the  city  and  that  the  money  given 
by  Mr.  Carnegie  could  most  profitably  be  devoted  to  the 
purposes  of  the  library  proper. 

The  vestibule  opens  directly  into  the  delivery  room,  octagonal 
in  form  and  lighted  from  the  dome.  To  the  right  of  the  entrance 
is  the  reading  room  for  the  periodicals  and  newspapers,  and  be- 
hind it  the  children's  room.  To  the  left  are  the  reference  room 
and  the  open  stack  room,  where  it  is  planned  always  to  keep  ac- 
cessible to  the  public  the  books  of  greatest  interest.  The  main 
stack  room,  with  present  capacity  for  33,000  volumes,  which 
can  be  increased  to  125,000,  is  in  an  extension  behind  the 
delivery  desk,  the  stacks  being  arranged  in  radial  form.  In  an 
annex  opening  both  into  the  main  and  open  stack  rooms  are 
the  librarian's  office  and  the  cataloguing  room.  When  more 
space  is  needed  for  the  open  stack  room,  which  has  proved  suc- 
cessful in  every  way,  the  present  children's  room  will  be  used 
for  that  purpose ;  the  reference  room  can  then  be  devoted  to 
the  children  and  the  reference  department  moved  to  a  room  in 
the  basement  now  used  as  an  assembly  room  by  the  Woman's 
Club.  Besides  this  room  and  the  necessary  rooms  for  storage 
and  unpacking,  the  basement  contains  two  connecting  studies 
or  parlors  which  have  been  furnished  by  the  Woman's  Club,  the 
furniture  and  equipment  having  been  donated  to  the  library 
board,  which  in  return  leases  the  use  of  the  rooms  for  certain 
hours  each  week  to  the  club,  an  arrangement  which  has  proved 
mutually  satisfactory.  As  long  as  these  rooms  are  not  needed 
for  the  direct  use  of  the  library  they  are  at  the  disposal  of  simi- 
lar clubs,  although  not  intended  for  general  or  social  use,  or  as 
a  source  of  revenue.  The  heating  plant  is  separate  and  apart 
from  the  building,  which  is  fireproof,  thus  insuring  the  safety 
of  the  library  and  preventing  a  possible  repetition  of  the  disas- 

177 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

ter  of  1899.  The  libraries  of  the  State  Medical  Society  and  the 
Lincoln  Dental  Society  have  been  deposited  in  the  building,  to 
remain  as  long  as  they  can  be  accommodated,  and  are  open  for 
the  use  of  the  public. 

The  cornerstone  of  the  Carnegie  library  at  Springfield,  Mis- 
souri, was  put  in  place  with  fitting  ceremonies  on  the  afternoon 
of  September  25,  1903.     In  the  course  of  the  exer- 

Springfield.  .  \  /r        x-«  i  -r»      i»  «■  i  r  1 1  1 

cises  Mr.  Ldgar  P.  Mann  spoke  as  follows  on  the 
benefits  the  city  would  receive  from  Mr.  Carnegie's  liberal  gift, 
and  on  the  attitude  which  the  citizens  should  have  toward  the 
institution  and  its  benefactor: 

"  When  the  question  of  accepting  this  beautiful,  substantial, 
and  enduring  structure  as  a  gift  from  Mr.  Carnegie  upon  the 
usual  conditions  imposed  upon  the  cities  to  which  he  donates 
these  buildings  was  first  submitted  to  our  city,  it  met  with  hearty 
approval  and  the  proposition  was  indorsed  and  legalized  almost 
without  dissent  at  the  polls.  Since  then,  however,  dissensions 
have  arisen  in  our  midst  over  the  matter,  —  a  disposition  to 
doubt  the  practical  utility  of  the  gift  and  to  criticise  and  ques- 
tion the  motives  of  the  giver.  It  seems  to  me  that  since,  in  the 
manner  provided  by  our  organic  law  and  with  a  full  opportunity 
given  every  man  to  register  his  will  upon  the  proposition  at  the 
polls,  we  have  with  all  the  formalities  of  the  law  accepted  this 
gift,  that  it  is  now  not  only  bad  faith  and  bad  manners  to  ques- 
tion the  motives  of  the  donor,  but  bad  policy  as  well  to  question 
its  practical  utility  and  value  to  our  city  and  its  people.  It  will 
rather  redound  to  our  credit  to  give  it  such  loyal,  earnest,  and 
united  support  as  will  demonstrate  to  the  world  that  this,  one 
of  the  magnificent  gifts  of  Mr.  Carnegie,  has  been  worthily 
bestowed. 

"  What  are  the  practical  uses  and  advantages  of  a  public 
library?  When  this  one  is  open  to  the  public  that  question 
will  be  demonstrated  far  better  than  lies  in  my  power  to  show 
you  now.  But  let  me  call,  your  attention  to  a  practical  illustra- 
tion by  referring  to  an  actually  existing  condition.  There  is 
about  to  be  established  in  our  midst  a  zinc  reduction  plant,  a 
new  and  strange  industry  to  our  people.  The  processes  of  re- 
duction, the  history  and  development  of  their  discovery  and 
invention,  and  the  uses  for  and  the  effect  of  the  operation  of 
the  plant  upon  the  health  and  comfort  of  those  residing  in  its 
vicinity,  and  the  output,  are  all  unknown  to  our  people,  and  to 
most  of  them  the  means  of  enlightenment,  except  in  the  most 
general  way,  are  not  at  hand.    Were  this  library  in  operation, 

178 


IOWA   AND   THE    FARTHER   WEST 

as  it  soon  will  be,  the  means  of  information  would  not  only  be 
available  and  free  to  rich  and  poor  alike,  but  you  would  find  as 
a  result  that  hundreds  of  our  people  would  be  to-day  discussing 
intelligently  the  whole  scope  and  object  and  effect  of  the  en- 
terprise, when  instead  there  is  dense  ignorance  upon  the  entire 
subject. 

"  The  great  merit  of  the  institution  whose  enduring  corner- 
stone we  lay  to-day  is  that  it  opens  another  door  of  opportunity 
to  the  youth  of  the  city.  Who  is  there  among  our  citizens  that 
can  refuse  his  countenance  and  support  to  so  worthy  an  enter- 
prise? Let  carping  criticism  and  opposition  cease.  Let  us 
take  this  library  in  our  arms  and  to  our  hearts  and  cherish  it  as 
one  of  our  most  valued  institutions.  Let  us  watch  and  encour- 
age the  growth  of  its  patronage  with  the  same  degree  of  interest 
that  we  do  the  growth  of  our  churches,  our  colleges,  our  fac- 
tories, our  population  and  commercial  importance,  and  the 
advent  of  new  railroads ;  that  every  worthy  institution  of  the 
city  will  be  benefited  by  a  liberal  support  and  patronage  of  this 
one  cannot  be  denied.  Let  us  not  treat  it  as  the  offspring  of  a 
stranger  and  as  a  waif  among  the  public  institutions  of  our  town. 
It  is  our  own,  and  when  we  come  to  regard  it  as  our  own  the 
question  of  its  future  will  be  settled  to  the  lasting  benefit  of 
ourselves,  our  children,  and  our  children's  children." 

Hitherto  no  public  library  had  existed  in  Springfield,  al- 
though library  privileges  had  not  been  wholly  lacking,  the 
Drury  College  Library  of  26,000  volumes  being  used  considera- 
bly by  the  townspeople.  About  March  1,  1901,  an  informal 
meeting  of  the  citizens  was  held  and  a  petition  drawn  up  re- 
questing the  city  council  to  submit  to  the  people  at  the  coming 
election  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  April  the  question  of  making  a 
levy  for  the  support  of  a  public  library.  The  doubt  which  had 
existed  as  to  whether  the  majority  of  voters  would  favor  the 
proposition  was  set  at  rest  by  the  result  of  the  election,  and,  after 
correspondence  between  President  Fuller  of  Drury  College 
and  Mr.  Carnegie's  secretary  concerning  the  method  of  pro- 
cedure, formal  application  was  made  in  August,  the  sum  of 
$50,000  being  asked  for.  Mr.  Carnegie  granted  the  request 
about  the  first  of  November,  and  within  two  weeks  the  mayor 
and  city  council  had  designated  a  board  of  nine  directors,  as  the 
law  of  the  State  provides.  The  board  organized  November  6th, 
and  efforts  were  made  to  secure  a  suitable  site  for  the  building. 
For  this  purpose  a  subscription  was  circulated  among  the  citi- 

179 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

zens,  by  which  the  sum  of  $3,750  was  raised.  After  discussion 
at  several  meetings  the  board  decided  to  purchase  for  $3,250  a 
lot  at  the  corner  of  Center  and  Jefferson  streets,  just  across  the 
street  from  the  high  school  and  only  a  block  from  Drury  College 
campus.  By  grant  from  the  city  a  strip  of  land  20  feet  in  width 
was  added,  making  the  entire  site  available  for  the  building 
212  X  210  feet.  A  Sub-committee  on  Plans  was  then  appointed, 
who  visited  other  libraries,  made  sketches  for  the  proposed 
structure,  and  invited  architects  to  submit  plans.  On  Septem- 
ber 22  Patton  and  Miller  of  Chicago  and  Reed  and  Hecken- 
lively  of  Springfield  were  engaged  as  associate  architects,  the 
former  firm  to  draw  the  plans,  the  latter  to  attend  to  certain 
details  and  superintend  the  construction.  Work  on  the  building 
was  not  begun  until  July  1,  1903,  delay  having  been  caused  by 
a  question  as  to  the  legality  of  the  tax  levy  for  the  support  of 
the  library  made  by  the  city  council  in  the  preceding  July. 

The  dimensions  of  the  structure,  which  is  of  limestone,  are 
106  X  65  feet,  with  a  semicircular  projection  at  the  back  for 
the  book  stacks.  It  is  two  stories  in  height,  with  an  ample 
basement.  The  second  floor  contains  an  assembly  room  seating 
250  people,  an  art  room,  a  private  room  for  the  consultation 
of  special  works  of  art,  and  a  room  for  the  use  of  the  directors. 

At  the  dedicatory  exercises  of  the  Sedalia  Public  Library, 
held  on  the  evening  of  July  30,  1901,  Mr.  F.  M.  Crunden  of  the 
St.  Louis  Public  Library  gave  an  address  on  "  The 
Public  Library  as  a  Paying  Investment,"  and  Mr. 
John  L.  Mauran  of  Mauran,  Russell  and  Garden  (the  St.  Louis 
architects  of  the  building)  read  a  paper  on  "  Responsibility." 
He  spoke  of  the  responsibility  of  the  architect  in  giving  to  the 
people  a  building  that  should  be  "  instructive  by  reason  of  its 
dignity  and  elevating  by  reason  of  its  refinement."  An  exem- 
plification of  this  ideal  is  to  be  found  in  the  Sedalia  library.  It 
is,  moreover,  both  pleasing  to  the  eye  and  in  every  way  adapted 
to  its  purpose, —  a  result  largely  due  to  the  cooperation  and 
complete  harmony  between  the  architects  and  the  library  board. 

The  library  stands  on  a  half  block,  270  X  130  feet  with  75  feet 
of  lawn  at  each  end.  The  lower  part  of  the  walls,  the  four  mas- 
sive columns  at  the  entrance,  the  steps  and  the  buttresses  are  of 
light  stone,  while  the  walls  of  the  building  are  faced  with  white 
terra  cotta,  the  use  of  which  gives  the  effect  of  marble,  and  at 

180 


Patton  &  miller,  architects,  chica(;o  photo,  by  Duncan,  St.  Louis 

SPRINGFIELD,  MISSOURI 


Mauran,  Russell  &  Garden,  Architei  rs,  St.  Louis 

SEDALIA,  MISS(  »1   Rl 


I'll I    \     \\  .     II.     -Mil    K  I    K 


J3ECOtND    TLOOPC    PLAsNl 


HrroT  rLaoje  n_A.M 
Public    ^isp'ary 

^if»ieitMor-ic.L.D  -  Mo. 


M.   R.   SANGU1NET,   ARCHITECT.   1 


C      CHI    RJ   H 


DALLAS,   TEXAS 


Herbi  k  i  11    i  .1  :  I  ect,  Dallas 

FORT   WORTH,   TEXAS 


L.  Swart; 


IOWA  AND    THE    FARTHER   WEST 

the  same  time  permits  a  wealth  of  ornamentation  which  lightens 
the  severity  of  the  classic  style. 

The  interior,  with  its  antique  oak  woodwork,  harmoniously 
tinted  walls,  and  terra  cotta  mantels,  is  equally  attractive.  On 
the  second  floor  is  a  large  art  room  which  was  used  for  the 
dedication  exercises,  seating  about  400  people.  There  are  also 
two  study  rooms  and  a  room  for  the  use  of  the  directors.  The 
basement  contains  a  room  for  public  documents  and  a  work 
room,  besides  ample  space  for  a  heating  plant,  should  one  ever 
be  desired ;  the  building  is  now  heated  from  the  public  plant, 
nearly  a  mile  from  the  library.  The  stack  room,  which  has  a 
capacity  of  46,000  volumes,  is  absolutely  fireproof;  rolling 
steel  doors  and  shutters  are  closed  at  night,  making  assurance 
doubly  sure. 

The  first  library  in  Sedalia  was  founded  in  1871,  no  citi- 
zens pledging  $10  each  for  its  support.  After  a  time  this 
failed  for  want  of  funds  and  the  books  were  given  to  the  Queen 
City  Seminary;  but  in  a  few  years  that  school  was  destroyed 
by  fire  and  all  the  books  burned.  An  attempt  to  organize 
a  library  by  the  ladies  of  the  city  in  1878-79  was,  for  a  time, 
successful;  but  like  the  first  this  finally  failed.  The  present 
library  was  incorporated  in  1893.  Books  to  the  number  of 
2185  were  bought,  and  the  library  established  in  rooms  in  the 
courthouse.  The  plan  of  paying  expenses  by  the  sale  of 
membership  tickets  was  tried  for  awhile,  but  it  was  found  that 
this  could  not  be  made  to  maintain  the  library,  and  in  1894  a 
proposition  was  submitted  to  the  citizens  to  make  it  a  public 
institution.  For  want  of  proper  canvassing  this  measure  was 
defeated,  but  in  the  following  year  it  was  adopted,  and  the 
books,  numbering  2,800  volumes,  with  about  2,500  volumes  of 
reference,  became  the  property  of  the  city. 

In  June,  1899,  the  library  was  ordered  to  vacate  the  rooms  in 
the  courthouse  and  to  find  a  home  elsewhere.  Knowing  from 
previous  experiences  that  this  would  mean  the  end  of  the  library, 
Mr.  D.  H.  Smith,  one  of  the  prime  movers  in  the  enterprise, 
wrote  to  Mr.  Carnegie  asking  for  aid  for  the  city,  and  in  reply 
received  a  promise  of  $50,000,  on  condition  that  a  site  be  pro- 
vided and  $4,000  a  year  spent  for  maintenance.  The  result  is 
the  present  handsome  building.  Since  its  completion  the  library 
has    found    its    possibilities    of    usefulness    greatly    increased. 

181 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

Sedalia  is  the  county  seat  in  the  center  of  a  large  farming 
community  and  the  public  library  is  free  to  all  residents  of  the 
county.  Farmers  and  the  people  of  small  towns  within  a  radius 
of  twenty  miles  draw  books  for  home  reading.  Efforts  are  made 
to  bring  the  advantages  of  the  library  within  the  reach  of  all. 
Work  for  the  schools  and  clubs  is  carried  on  as  far  as  resources 
allow.  Old  newspapers  and  periodicals  too  worn  to  be  bound 
have  been  cut  and  mounted  on  manila  sheets  for  scrapbooks, 
and  these  have  been  in  great  demand  among  school  children  for 
essay  work.  The  children's  room,  where  the  children  may  help 
themselves  to  the  books  they  want,  has  proved  a  great  attrac- 
tion. Lists  of  books  on  subjects  of  interest,  with  illustrative 
pictures,  are  posted  from  time  to  time  on  the  bulletin  board, 
and  here  are  exhibited  the  best  drawings  from  the  different 
schools  in  the  city,  with  the  object  of  attracting  both  children 
and  parents  to  the  library.  Reference  books  are  freely  acces- 
sible in  the  general  reading  room,  while  on  the  shelves  just 
back  of  the  loan  desk,  to  which  the  public  are  admitted,  are 
kept  about  800  of  the  best  books.  At  the  time  the  build- 
ing was  opened  a  collection  of  150  framed  photographs  of 
famous  works  of  art  and  architecture  was  presented  to  the  li- 
brary, and  these  have  been  found  useful  to  the  schools  and 
study  clubs,  as  well  as  of  interest  to  sightseers.  The  Sunday 
opening  has  been  very  successful,  and  is  especially  appreciated 
by  the  students  of  the  business  colleges  of  the  city,  to  whom  it 
affords  a  quiet  reading  place  for  Sunday  afternoons.  In  all  the 
work  of  the  library  the  supreme  endeavor  is  to  understand  the 
interests  of  the  community  and  as  far  as  possible  to  meet  its 
needs. 


182 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE   SOUTHWEST  AND    THE   ROCKY  MOUNTAIN 

REGION 

Dallas   and    Fort    Worth,  Texas  —  Cheyenne,    Wyoming  —  Colorado 
Springs. 

THE  year  1899  was  memorable  in  the  library  annals  of 
Texas,  for  during  its  course  the  four  largest  cities  in 
the  state  —  Dallas,  Fort  Worth,  Houston,  and  San 
Antonio  —  each  received  from  Mr.  Carnegie  a  gift  of  $50,000 
for  a  library  building. 

There  was  not  a  free  public  library  of  any  importance  in  the 
state  at  the  time  of  the  formation  of  the  Dallas  Public  Library 
Association  in  1899.  This  association,  composed  of 
all  who  were  willing  to  contribute  toward  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  library,  was  organized  at  a  public  mass  meeting  on 
March  31.  Subscriptions  were  opened  and  five  public-spirited 
citizens  contributed  $1,000  each.  A  few  weeks  later  the  city 
was  divided  into  districts,  a  committee  of  women  to  solicit  con- 
tributions being  appointed  for  each  district,  and  in  this  way 
more  than  $12,000  was  raised.  In  the  meantime  the  city  had 
promised  to  give  a  lot  50  X  100  feet  as  a  site,  and  to  appropriate 
$2,000  a  year  for  library  maintenance.  The  president  of  the 
Association,  Mrs.  Henry  Exall,  then  wrote  to  Mr.  Carnegie, 
submitting  a  statement  showing  the  interest  of  the  public  in  the 
movement.  The  reply  to  this  appeal  was  a  promise  of  $50,000, 
with  the  proviso  that  a  suitable  location  should  be  furnished  and 
that  the  city  of  Dallas  should  agree  to  appropriate  $4,000  annu- 
ally  for  the  support  of  the  library.  Steps  were  at  once  taken  to 
comply  with  these  conditions.  The  charter  of  the  city  permit- 
ting the  appropriation  of  only  $2,000  per  annum,  a  special  act  of 
the  Legislature  was  necessary  in  order  to  secure  the  required 
sum.  The  lot  given  by  the  city  was  found  to  be  too  small  for 
the  erection  of  a  $50,000  building,  and  was  therefore  sold,  the 
Association  purchasing  in  its  place,  at  a  cost  of  $9,525,  a  lot 

1S3 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

100  X  200  feet,  fronting  on  three  streets  on  a  high  point  in  the 
very  heart  of  the  city. 

The  building  was  begun  in  October,  1900,  and  a  year  later, 
on  October  29,  1901,  its  completion  was  signalized  by  fitting 
ceremonies,  held  in  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of  people. 
The  exercises  took  place  in  the  assembly  room  on  the  second 
floor,  known  as  Carnegie  Hall,  and  were  followed  by  a  general 
reception  and  inspection. 

The  building  is  of  classic  type,  of  Roman  pressed  brick  and 
gray  Bedford  stone.  The  main  architectural  feature  is  the  en- 
trance portico,  embodying  a  richly  ornamented  doorway,  flanked 
on  either  side  by  a  cluster  of  Ionic  columns  reaching  from  the 
water  table  to  the  main  entablature.  Above  the  entablature, 
over  the  center  of  the  portico,  is  a  large  tablet,  bearing  the 
name  of  the  giver  and  the  date  of  erection.  The  entrance 
doors,  of  heavily  carved  oak,  lead  into  the  delivery  hall,  which 
with  its  marble  floor  and  wainscoting,  beautiful  pilasters  and 
arches,  forms  the  principal  decorative  feature  of  the  interior. 
The  main  stairway,  of  marble  and  iron,  leads  from  either  side 
of  the  entrance  to  a  platform  the  width  of  the  hall,  thence  to 
the  second  floor  with  a  single  wide  run. 

Facing  the  entrance  and  near  the  center  of  the  building  is 
the  delivery  desk,  of  marble  and  oak,  from  which  the  attendant 
may  see  and  control  the  entire  floor.  To  the  right  of  the  desk, 
facing  the  entrance,  are  the  reading  and  reference  rooms,  to  the 
left  the  children's  room  and  the  librarian's  office,  while  back  of 
the  desk  is  the  stack  room,  with  an  ultimate  capacity  of  100,000 
volumes. 

The  coloring  of  the  main  hall  is  white  and  old  ivory;  all 
other  parts  of  the  first  floor  are  old  rose,  with  woodwork  and 
furnishings  of  oak.  In  addition  to  the  auditorium,  which  seats 
five  hundred  people,  the  second  floor  contains  a  classroom  for 
the  use  of  clubs  and  an  art  gallery. 

Quite  a  feature  is  made  of  the  children's  room,  furnished  with 
two  sizes  of  tables  and  chairs,  low  wall  cases  well  supplied  with 
books,  and  several  good  pictures  and  plaster  casts,  a  gift  from 
the  teachers  and  pupils  of  the  public  schools.  Much  attention 
is  also  given  to  reference  work,  which  grows  constantly,  the  use 
of  this  department  being  by  no  means  confined  to  Dallas.  Re- 
quests for  assistance  by  mail  are  frequent,  and  hardly  a  week 

184 


THE   SOUTHWEST 

passes  that  people  from  neighboring  towns  do  not  come  to  do 
special  work. 

Fort  Worth,  thirty  miles  west  of  Dallas  and  connected  with  it 
by  electric  railway,  is  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  a  rich  agricul- 
tural country,  and  is  a  recognized  center  for  the  im- 
mense  cattle  business  of  the  state.  The  movement 
which  culminated  in  the  Fort  Worth  Carnegie  Public  Library 
began  in  1892.  On  April  2  of  that  year,  twenty  women  met 
for  the  purpose  of  "  taking  measures  to  establish  a  free  public 
library  in  the  city  of  Fort  Worth."  A  permanent  organiza- 
tion known  as  the  Fort  Worth  Library  Association  was  formed, 
and  a  charter  obtained  from  the  state.  Any  woman  resident  of 
the  city  was  eligible  to  membership  and  became  a  life  member 
upon  the  payment  of  one  dollar.  It  was  decided  to  bend  all  of 
the  energies  of  the  Association  first  toward  the  erection  of  a 
library  building,  and  then  toward  a  collection  of  books,  the 
whole  to  be  placed  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  city  as  soon  as 
the  Council  should  make  the  necessary  provision  for  its  mainte- 
nance, which  there  was  every  reason  to  believe  would  be  done 
when  the  building  was  erected  and  equipped.  With  this  end  in 
view,  permission  to  place  the  library  on  the  plot  of  ground 
known  as  Hyde  Park,  given  to  the  city  by  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Jen- 
nings, was  obtained  from  the  grantor  and  the  City  Council,  and 
plans  were  adopted  for  a  brick  building  to  cost  $8,000.  An 
active  canvass  for  funds  was  begun  and  several  hundred  dollars 
secured.  Then  followed  a  period  of  financial  depression,  dur- 
ing which  little  progress  was  made.  With  the  return  of  pros- 
perity in  1898  the  Association  made  renewed  efforts  to  carry 
out  the  plans  so  long  held  in  abeyance.  The  by-laws  were 
amended  in  order  to  admit  men  to  membership,  and  a  syste- 
matic effort  to  secure  new  members  resulted  in  a  large  increase 
in  membership.  A  gift  concert,  held  in  the  spring  of  1899, 
netted  the  Association  $6,439.55.  Public  interest  was  thor- 
oughly awakened  and  a  number  of  large  subscriptions  were 
received. 

The  funds  of  the  Association  had  reached  $11,000  when  an 
appeal  was  made  to  Mr.  Carnegie  for  assistance.  His  offer  of 
$50,000  was  made  on  condition  that  a  site  should  be  furnished 
by  the  Association,  and  that  the  city  should  appropriate  $4,000 
annually  for  maintenance.     A  contract  to  this  effect  was  drawn 

i85 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

between  the  city  and  the  Association,  the  Association  agreeing 
to  erect  a  building  to  cost  not  less  than  $50,000,  to  equip  it 
fully  with  furniture  and  fixtures,  and  to  supply  it  with  not  less 
than  $10,000  worth  of  books,  while  the  city  agreed  to  provide 
the  required  sum  for  support  (the  appropriation  not  to  com- 
mence until  the  actual  issue  of  books  had  begun)  and  to  leave 
the  entire  control  of  the  library  in  the  hands  of  the  Association. 
Plans  for  a  building  in  classical  style,  of  red  brick  with  sand- 
stone trimmings,  were  adopted  and  the  cornerstone  laid  on  June 
13,  1900.  The  library  was  opened  to  the  public  on  October  17, 
1901,  with  6,907  volumes  on  the  shelves.  The  open-shelf  policy 
was  adopted  and  as  few  restrictions  as  possible  were  placed  on 
the  use  of  the  books. 

One  of  the  most  popular  departments  in  the  library  is  the 
young  people's  room.  Weekly  talks,  illustrated  by  photographs 
and  casts,  are  given  by  the  teachers  of  the  schools  and  members 
of  clubs  in  the  city,  lists  of  books  on  the  subject  for  discussion 
being  posted  on  the  bulletin  board  and  the  books  themselves 
placed  on  special  shelves.  The  usefulness  of  the  library  has 
been  extended  directly  to  the  school  children  by  circulating 
carefully  selected  books  through  the  schools.  The  plan  is  to 
send  twelve  books  to  each  of  the  first  seven  grades,  changing 
them  every  six  weeks.  In  this  way,  from  the  earliest  year  at 
school  the  best  juvenile  books  are  provided  for  the  use  of  the 
children,  who  are  thus  unconsciously  forming  that  best  of  all 
foundations  for  their  future  education,  a  taste  for  good  litera- 
ture. The  superintendent  and  teachers  of  the  public  schools 
have  been  most  enthusiastic  in  their  support  of  the  plan  and 
have  done  their  utmost  to  assist  in  making  the  library  useful  to 
their  pupils.  The  extension  of  the  work  has  unfortunately  been 
prevented  by  lack  of  funds  necessary  to  purchase  a  sufficient 
number  of  books,  but  the  library  has  received  many  generous 
donations  of  books,  pamphlets,  and  unbound  periodicals,  as 
well  as  money  in  small  sums  to  be  applied  to  the  purchase  of 
books.  One  of  the  most  notable  gifts,  forming  the  nucleus  of 
an  art  collection,  was  received  from  the  Anna  Ticknor  Library 
Association  of  Boston,  and  consists  of  about  4,100  carefully 
classified  and  catalogued  photographs  and  engravings,  together 
with  102  volumes  of  valuable  art  works. 

Cheyenne,  the  capital  of  Wyoming,  at  the  extreme  southeast 

186 


THE   SOUTHWEST 

corner  of  the  state,  has  a  population  of  over  15,000,  and  is  one 
of  the  points  of  departure  for  the  famous  Black  Hills  with  its 
celebrated  Deadwood  stage.  Here  the  Rev.  Josiah  Chcyenne. 
Strong  became  a  Congregational  pastor  on  his  gradua- 
tion from  Lane  Theological  Seminary,  and  the  same  intellectual 
energy  which  made  him  a  writer  of  note  made  him  the  origina- 
tor of  the  library  movement  in  the  state  capital.  In  November, 
1872,  he  began  an  earnest  campaign,  calling  upon  heads  of 
families  to  afford  their  children  the  advantages  of  a  library,  dem- 
onstrating to  the  young  men  the  need  of  self-culture,  and  point- 
ing out  to  the  community  at  large  the  moral  safeguard  that  an 
institution  of  the  kind  would  prove  to  the  city.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  following  year  the  Cheyenne  Library  Association  was 
organized  on  the  basis  of  five-dollar  shares  and  a  Board  of  Trus- 
tees was  appointed.  The  money  received  enabled  them  shortly 
to  despatch  an  order  for  437  books,  stock  having  been  sub- 
scribed to  the  amount  of  nearly  $800.  But  the  income  was  not 
sustained.  Dr.  Strong  removed  to  Ohio,  and  after  various  vicis- 
situdes a  reorganization  was  effected  in  1879,  the  debt  which 
had  accumulated  was  wiped  off,  and  a  season  of  usefulness  con- 
tinued, with  some  falls  in  fortune,  until  the  beginning  of  1886, 
when  the  Association  took  a  firm  grip  on  the  situation  and 
standing  committees  consisting  of  the  best  people  in  the  city 
set  to  work  to  obtain  money,  a  home,  and  a  librarian.  By  the 
beginning  of  June  the  free  reading  room  and  library  were  firmly 
installed  as  a  permanent  institution  in  the  capital.  Many  new 
books  were  added  and  the  library  at  this  time  consisted  of  more 
than  a  thousand  books  of  standard  quality.  A  lot  owned  by  the 
Association  had  been  sold  and  $1,200  placed  to  the  credit  of 
the  Association  to  be  applied  to  building  purposes  when  thought 
necessary.  Meantime  the  expenses  were  met  by  the  sale  of 
stock  at  $5  a  share. 

The  library  was  kept  in  a  room  20  X  30  feet  in  size,  in  the 
basement  of  the  Central  High  School,  the  reading  space  limit- 
ing readers  to  five  or  six  at  one  time.  A  single  stove  heated 
the  room  in  winter  time  and  the  entire  furnishings  were  such  as 
to  cheapen  the. influence  of  the  library.  An  Auxiliary  Library 
Association  was  formed  to  assist  in  overcoming  this  deplorable 
situation  by  obtaining  funds  or  real  estate  by  gifts,  by  entertain- 
ments of  all  sorts,  and  to  stimulate  other  sections  to  take  advan- 

187 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

tage  of  the  library  law.  Mr.  Robert  Morris,  who  as  private 
secretary  to  Governor  Warren  had  had  much  to  do  with  the 
passage  of  the  "  Act  to  promote  the  public  welfare  and  estab- 
lish free  public  libraries,"  was  greatly  interested  in  this  good 
work  and  meantime  wrote  to  Mr.  Carnegie,  in  December,  1899, 
outlining  the  importance  of  the  city,  describing  the  cramped 
quarters  in  which  their  4,000  volumes  were  then  found,  and  de- 
tailing what  the  people  of  Cheyenne  were  endeavoring  to  do  for 
themselves.  He  asked  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Carnegie  for  a  new 
building  and,  in  time  to  be  welcomed  as  a  New  Year's  gift  to 
the  city,  Cheyenne  received  news  of  his  offer  of  $50,000  with 
the  condition  that  a  proper  site  be  secured  and  that  the  library 
be  maintained  at  a  cost  of  not  less  than  $3,000,  though  $4,000 
was  suggested  as  more  proper. 

Mr.  Morris  immediately  set  about  to  pave  the  way  for  the 
prompt  acceptance  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  generous  offer.  He  ob- 
tained an  option  on  an  excellent  site  near  the  High  School 
at  $1,750,  and  moreover  had  subscriptions  for  the  full  amount  of 
the  price.  The  County  Commissioners  held  a  meeting  at  which 
the  tax  levy  was  increased  to  one-half  mill,  which  on  the  assessed 
valuation  of  six  millions  brought  the  library  the  revenue  required 
by  Mr.  Carnegie's  terms.  On  January  6,  1900,  Mr.  Morris  was 
able  to  inform  Mr.  Carnegie  of  the  progress  already  made,  of 
the  happiness  of  the  citizens  of  Cheyenne  at  the  consummation 
of  the  free  library  project,  and  to  inclose  the  resolutions  of  the 
County  Commissioners.  He  was  soon  in  receipt  of  Mr.  Car- 
negie's congratulations. 

The  site  on  which  Mr.  Morris  had  secured  the  option  is  within 
two  blocks  of  the  state  capitol  and  overlooks  a  park  of  ten 
acres  in  extent,  maintained  by  the  city  and  facing  the  grounds 
of  the  capitol.  To  the  east  of  the  capitol  grounds  lie  those  of 
the  convent,  making  the  neighborhood  one  of  the  most  delight- 
ful in  the  city.  In  addition  to  these  landscape  advantages  the  site 
is  within  but  a  few  hundred  feet  from  the  central  business  part  of 
Cheyenne. 

Mr.  Morris  was  made  the  secretary  of  the  building  committee, 
but  between  the  time  of  the  reception  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  offer 
and  the  actual  inauguration  of  the  work  he  was  far  from  losing 
sight  of  the  actual  building  with  which  his  efforts  were  to  be 
crowned.    With  a  careful  study  of  the  library  movement  through- 

188 


Plati;  10.5 


&  Miller,  architkcis.  chu  vgo 

CHEYENNE,   WYOMING 


i    i     Stims 


Plate  106 


Plate  107 


Plate  108 


\;  ril,  iv5 


Egr 


CO!  "l  \l»>  springs 


THE    SOUTHWEST 

out  the  country  and  an  examination  of  the  plans  of  numerous 
libraries,  especially  the  recently  constructed  branch  libraries  in 
Pittsburg,  he  was  in  a  position  to  guide  the  committee  in  this 
important  work.  Their  intention  from  the  outset  was  to  con- 
struct what  has  since  been  termed  a  People's  Palace,  which  was 
to  be  not  only  a  resort  for  literary  and  historical  research,  but 
a  place  where  the  intellectual  interests  of  the  people  should 
center. 

The  committee  secured  the  services  of  Patton,  Fisher,  and 
Miller  to  carry  out  their  ideas,  and  their  experience  enabled 
them  to  construct  a  complete  and  harmonious  modern  building, 
planned  with  a  view  to  utility,  yet  preserving  architectural  beauty, 
furnishing  convenient  access  to  the  public,  ample  room  for  the 
books,  and  accommodations  for  proper  administration. 

The  structure  is  classical  in  type,  built  in  gray  pressed  brick 
on  a  foundation  of  white  sandstone.  The  trimmings  are  in 
sandstone  and  terra  cotta  and  the  Ionic  modification  of  the 
Doric  type  is  expressed  by  the  slender  fluted  columns  and  elabo- 
rate capital  and  spiral  scrolls  which  afford  the  suggestion  of 
grace  rather  than  strength.  Work  was  begun  on  the  building 
late  in  1900,  and  it  was  completed  and  open  to  the  public  early  in 
1902.  All  the  furniture,  fixtures,  and  decorations  were  from 
original  designs,  there  being  no  stock  or  trade  fittings  used  in 
any  part  of  the  building.  The  entire  cost  amounted  to  $55,232, 
in  addition  to  which  the  City  Council  appropriated  $600  to  com- 
plete the  stone  coping  and  curbing  around  the  building.  The 
grounds  will  be  cared  for  by  the  City  Council  in  connection  with 
the  city  park  system. 

The  interior  arrangement  divides  the  building  into  two  stories 
and  abasement,  each  floor  forming,  as  it  were,  a  separate  depart- 
ment. The  main  floor  is  devoted  to  library  purposes  proper,  the 
visitor  entering  through  the  reception  hall  into  the  delivery 
room,  on  either  side  of  which  are  the  general  reading  rooms. 
That  on  the  north  end,  overlooking  the  city  park,  is  for  adults, 
and  has  a  floor  space  of  32  x  26  feet.  The  corresponding  room 
on  the  south  is  for  the  children.  The  stack,  with  a  capacity  of 
50,000  volumes,  lies  to  the  rear  of  the  delivery  counter,  and  at  the 
extreme  rear  and  opening  into  the  stack  is  the  librarian's  private 
office  and  a  small  reception  room  open  from  the  delivery  room 
at  one  side  of  the  entrance  hall. 

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CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

In  the  basement,  directly  under  the  stack  room,  there  is  pro- 
vided a  semicircular  auditorium  which  will  seat  some  three  hun- 
dred people.  Here  also,  in  imitation  of  the  Carnegie  institutions 
at  Homestead  and  other  places,  there  is  provided  a  newspaper 
reading  room,  26  X  22  feet,  where  men  may  visit  and  smoke. 
The  room  is  intended  for  use  as  a  social  parlor  where  members 
of  clubs  may  entertain  invited  guests  after  an  entertainment  or 
lecture.  The  basement  also  provides  the  rooms  necessary  to  the 
maintenance  and  care  of  the  building. 

On  the  third  floor  are  to  be  found  four  apartments,  an  art  gal- 
lery in  the  center  over  the  delivery  room,  an  assembly  room  over 
each  of  the  main  reading  rooms  on  the  first  floor,  and  an  attractive 
trustees'  room.  In  the  assembly  rooms  the  various  clubs,  both 
of  men  and  of  women,  are  accustomed  to  meet,  and  through  Mrs. 
William  Sturgis,  a  girlhood  friend  of  Mrs.  Carnegie,  the  latter 
was  persuaded  to  give  the  sum  of  $500  to  furnish  the  women's 
room. 

Few  libraries  in  the  world  command  such  a  fine  view  of 
natural  beauty  as  does  the  Free  Public  Library  of  Colorado 
Springs.  The  building  is  placed  in  the  center  of  a 
springs!*  wide  terrace  which  slopes  off  to  the  back,  and  from 
the  semicircular  south  end  of  the  building  can  be 
seen  Pike's  Peak  and  the  Rocky  Mountain  Range.  As  was  said 
at  the  dedicatory  exercises,  "  a  dull  soul  indeed  is  he  who  look- 
ing upon  these  grand  mountains,  from  the  setting  of  our  library 
windows,  would  dare  to  say  that  life  is  not  worth  living —  in  this 
altitude." 

The  library  is  the  outgrowth  of  an  association  that  had  strug- 
gled along  for  a  score  of  years  with  a  scanty  collection  of  books 
housed  in  rented  rooms,  located  at  various  times  in  different 
parts  of  the  town.  "  It  was  a  time  of  small  things,"  said  Judge 
Horace  G.  Lunt,  "everything  was  small  —  except  the  plains  and 
the  mountains,  and  so  the  plains  and  the  mountains  inspired 
those  early  workers  with  lofty  ideas  about  a  library.  They 
never  lost  faith  in  their  good  works,  they  never  let  go  the  idea 
that  they  must  have  a  library,  sooner  or  later.  They  fully 
realized  its  good  influence  and  its  absolute  necessity  to  the  wel- 
fare of  the  people,  young  and  old.  They  struggled  bravely  on, 
ever  fighting,  ever  continuing  eagerly  and  zealously  to  keep  the 
library  growing,  begging  here  for  a  few  books,  asking  there  for  a 

190 


THE   SOUTHWEST 

little  money  to  replenish  the  diminishing  stock,  raising  money 
by  lecture  courses,  and  occasionally  having  sociables  to  raise 
funds  for  the  library.  They  kept  it  always  before  them,  and 
they  never  lost  faith  in  the  ultimate  outcome  of  their  good 
work. " 

Through  the  activity  of  several  men  and  women  of  Colorado 
Springs,  and  finally  through  the  efforts  of  Dr.  J.  R.  Robinson, 
at  that  time  mayor  of  the  city,  Mr.  Carnegie  offered  $50,000  for 
a  library  building,  later  increasing  the  amount  to  $60,000. 

The  building  is  of  the  style  commonly  known  as  the  Neo- 
Grec.  It  is  85  X  115  feet,  and  is  placed  in  the  center  of  a  hun- 
dred-foot wide  turf  terrace  confined  within  a  cement  curbing  and 
approached  by  a  twenty-five-foot  wide  cement  walk.  The  mate- 
rial used  in  the  construction  of  the  exterior  is  a  Roman-shaped 
gray  hydraulic  pressed  brick,  with  trimmings  of  white  terra 
cotta  above  a  light-colored  pueblo  sandstone  base.  Front  en- 
trance steps  and  platform  are  of  fine  cut  Platte  Canon  granite. 
Decorative  panels  of  Breche  Violette  marble  are  introduced 
between  basement  and  first-story  windows  and  on  pylons  above 
the  main  entrance. 

The  monitor  on  the  roof  is  covered  with  copper  and  turned 
green  with  acid.  The  sides  of  the  monitor  are  filled  in  with 
glazed  sashes  divided  up  by  a  Greek  pattern.  These  win- 
dows serve  to  light  and  ventilate  the  delivery  room  and  loft 
under  the  roof.  The  large  windows  in  the  first  story  are  divided 
up  by  light  wood  divisions  and  transom  treatment,  painted 
a  light  gray  and  glazed  with  the  best  selected  American  plate 
glass.  The  windows  in  the  basement  are  made  subservient 
to  those  above  and  have  wrought  iron  grilles  painted  verdigris 
color. 

The  main  entrance  doorway  treatment  is  of  quartered  oak, 
stained,  with  iron  grilles  in  doors  and  above  transoms,  all  of 
verdigris  color.  On  the  semicircular  end  of  the  building  is 
a  continuous  ornamental  iron  balcony  with  a  cement  floor.  The 
building  is  entered  through  an  ample  vestibule  at  a  level  half- 
way between  basement  and  first  floor.  A  gray  Tennessee 
marble  stairway  with  ornamental  iron  balustrades  leads  up  in 
the  center  to  the  first  floor,  and  two  narrow  stairways  on  each 
side  lead  down  to  a  high,  well-lighted  basement,  to  the  toilet 
rooms,  club  rooms  and  auditorium. 

191 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

The  main  corridor  on  the  first  floor,  15  feet  wide,  leads  di- 
rectly to  the  delivery  room,  24  x  30  feet,  the  focal  point  of  the 
first-floor  arrangements.  On  either  side  of  the  corridor  are 
the  general  reading  room  and  the  children's  room,  both  25  X  48 
feet,  separated  from  the  corridor  by  a  treatment  of  glazed  open- 
ings to  balance  the  exterior  window  treatment,  and  entered 
immediately  at  the  head  of  the  stairway. 

Directly  opposite  the  entrance  in  the  delivery  room  is  the 
delivery  desk,  from  which  very  effective  supervision  of  the 
entire  floor  is  possible.  At  each  side  of  the  desk  are  the  en- 
trances to  the  semicircular  book  or  alcove  reading  room.  On 
the  west  side  of  the  delivery  room  and  accessible  from  the 
book  room  and  general  reading  room,  is  the  reference  room, 
24  X  25  feet,  while  in  the  corresponding  space  on  the  other 
side  are  the  librarian's  and  cataloguer's  rooms.  The  book 
room  is  38  X  64  feet  and  has  eight  12-foot  book  stacks  radi- 
ating from  the  exterior  walls  forming  alcoves  at  each  win- 
dow, the  windows  opening  directly  on  to  the  balcony.  The 
present  book  stacks  have  a  capacity  of  12,000  volumes.  The 
shelves  in  the  reading  rooms  add  space  for  5,000  additional 
volumes.  The  height  of  the  reading  rooms  and  the  reference 
room  is  15  feet,  while  the  corridor  and  book  room  is  17  feet 
and  the  delivery  room  is  25  feet  in  the  clear. 

The  general  construction  of  the  building  is  fireproof.  All 
the  rooms  and  corridors  are  finished  in  hard  plaster  with  stucco 
cornices  and  beams.  The  floors  of  the  corridor  and  delivery 
room  are  of  terrazzo  tile  with  a  terrazzo  sanitary  cover  base. 
The  other  portions  of  the  first  floor  have  a  pale  green  colored 
cork  carpet.  The  walls  and  ceiling  are  tinted  in  light  tones  of 
warm  gray  and  ivory  white.  All  the  interior  woodwork  is  of 
oak  stained  a  verdigris  color. 

The  heating  of  the  building  is  by  both  direct-indirect  and 
indirect  radiation.  The  lighting  is  by  electricity,  all  wiring 
being  in  an  all  iron  conduit  system.  Gas  for  illuminating  pur- 
poses is  only  introduced  into  the  corridor,  delivery  room,  and 
auditorium  to  serve  in  case  of  emergency.  All  the  electric  and 
gas  fixtures  are  especially  designed  in  harmony  with  the  archi- 
tecture of  the  building  and  have  a  verdc  antique  finish.  The 
furniture  is  all  of  quartered  oak,  especially  designed  to  con- 
summate a  harmonious  whole,  and  finished   to  match  the  in- 

192 


THE   SOUTHWEST 

terior  woodwork.  The  architect,  Mr.  Calvin  Kiessling,  can 
hardly  be  said  to  boast  when  he  claims  that  "  the  building  lends 
itself  to  all  the  requirements  of  modern  library  purposes  and 
affords  its  patrons  the  unrestricted  enjoyment  of  the  beauties 
of  the  distant  mountains  and  immediate  surroundings." 


193 


CHAPTER   XVI 

CALIFORNIA 

San  Diego  —  Oakland  —  Alameda  —  San    Jos6  —  Riverside  —  Pomona  — 
Santa  Ana. 

IN  the    extreme  southwestern  corner  of  California,  at  San 
Diego,   is  the  first  Carnegie  library  opened  in  the   state, 
having  been  completed  in  April,  1902.     Credit  for  secur- 
ing the  new  library  building  is  largely  due  to  the  Wednesday 
Morning  Club,   and  especially  to  its   courageous  and   faithful 
president,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Horton.     This  club  was  organ- 

San  Diego.         f  .  ** 

ized  in  1895,  and  when  the  program  for  the  first 
year's  work  was  outlined,  Mrs.  Horton  was  designated  to  pre- 
pare a  paper  on  public  libraries.  It  was  her  idea  that  every 
club  should  have  some  well-defined  purpose  to  justify  its  exist- 
ence, and  as  she  was  very  anxious  to  enlist  her  associates  in 
plans  for  the  much-needed  library,  she  spent  a  large  part  of  the 
year  upon  her  paper,  collecting  figures  and  arguments  which 
aroused  much  enthusiasm  when  the  paper  was  read,  and  which 
won  for  her  cause  the  cooperation  of  the  club. 

By  various  methods,  the  sum  of  S500  was  raised  by  the  club 
toward  a  library  building  fund.  Of  this  amount  $100  was 
cleared  by  an  exhibition  of  the  Copley  prints.  The  prints  were 
loaned  by  the  publishers,  who  gave  a  generous  percentage  on 
sales,  and  also  promised  to  donate  to  the  library,  when  it  should 
be  built,  100  choice  prints,  a  promise  since  faithfully  fulfilled. 
Another  means  of  stimulating  public  interest,  devised  by  Mrs. 
Horton,  was  an  exhibition  of  photographs  of  Carnegie  libra- 
ries already  erected,  supplemented  with  photographs  of  the 
new  Library  of  Congress  and  other  famous  libraries.  This 
served  a  threefold  purpose :  it  strengthened  the  interest  in  try- 
ing to  build  a  public  library,  provided  a  source  of  revenue,  and 
was  the  beginning  of  Mrs.  Horton's  correspondence  with  Mr. 
Carnegie.  A  year  later  she  wrote  to  him  again,  not  making  a 
direct  appeal  for  aid,  but  picturing  so  vividly  the  struggle  which 

194 


CALIFORNIA 

was  being  made  to  carry  on  the  library  with  a  small  fund  that 
an  immediate  reply  came  in  the  shape  of  an  offer  of  $50,000. 

"  The  library  needs  of  this  place,"  wrote  Mrs.  Horton,  "  are 
very  apparent.  We  have  a  good  library  of  about  14,000  books 
which  we  have  in  rented  rooms,  for  which  we  pay  £85  a  month. 
Every  few  years  we  are  obliged  to  move,  owing  to  a  demand  for 
more  room,  or  other  causes.  Our  last  moving  expenses  were 
about  $800. 

"  Our  income  from  the  city  taxes  amounts  to  five  or  six  thou- 
sand dollars  a  year.  After  the  salaries,  rent,  moving,  and  other 
expenses  were  taken  out  last  year  we  had  very  little  left  to  ex- 
pend for  books.  Our  circulation  was  reduced  to  14,000  books 
on  account  of  closing  for  moving  and  our  inability  to  supply 
new  books. 

"  We  feel  more  than  ever  the  need  of  permanent  quarters,  and 
think  San  Diego  is  an  important  point  for  the  establishment  of  a 
fine  library.  I  know  of  no  place  where  one  would  be  more  ap- 
preciated. We  have  fine  schools,  and  the  cooperation  between 
the  library  and  the  schools  is  most  gratifying,  but  here  we  are 
hampered  by  lack  of  funds  for  necessary  books.  A  state  normal 
school  has  been  opened  in  San  Diego  within  the  past  year,  and 
while  they  will  some  time  have  a  library  of  their  own,  the  funds 
are  not  sufficient  now  to  establish  it.1  Our  library  supplies 
their  needs  so  far  as  able. 

"  We  have  lately  established  a  children's  library  league,  and 
our  circulation  among  the  children  has  increased  very  percep- 
tibly, so  much  so  that  we  have  been  troubled  to  provide  all  the 
books  they  need. 

"  We  have  a  large  floating  population  who  are  given  all  the 
privileges  of  the  library.  Invalids  who  come  for  a  few  weeks  or 
months  will  find  our  library  a  great  source  of  pleasure.  We 
have  soldiers  stationed  here  who  find  our  books  a  refuge  from 
the  monotony  of  their  life.  Our  harbor  has  been  a  winter  ren- 
dezvous for  naval  vessels  on  this  coast  for  some  years,  making 
calls  for  additional  books." 

After  the  plans  were  adopted  and  the  work  well  under  way  it 
was  found  that  $10,000  more  would  be  needed  to  equip  the 
building  with  fireproof  steel  book  stacks,  properly  lighted. 
Learning  through  Mrs.  Horton  of  the  inadequacy  of  the  origi- 
nal sum  to  complete  the  building,  Mr.  Carnegie  cheerfully  added 
the  necessary  amount,  so  that  the  building  now  stands  complete, 
a  lasting  monument  to  its  generous  donor.  The  $500  raised  by 
1  The  Normal  School  library  has  since  been  opened. 
195 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

the  Wednesday  Morning  Club  was  given  toward  the  purchase 
price  of  the  land  on  which  the  library  stands.  Another  gift  of 
$i,ooofor  the  beautifying  of  the  library  grounds  was  received 
from  Mr.  George  VV.  Marston. 

The  building  is  two  stories  in  height,  and  is  built  of  brick, 
covered  with  cement  painted  white,  giving  somewhat  the  effect 
of  white  marble.  The  delivery  room  occupies  the  center  of  the 
first  floor;  opening  from  this,  on  the  one  side,  are  a  children's 
room  and  a  women's  magazine  room ;  on  the  other  a  men's 
magazine  room  and  a  reference  room.  Behind  the  delivery 
room  are  the  librarian's  and  catalogers'  rooms,  back  of  which 
are  the  stacks.  The  second  story  contains  an  art  gallery,  a 
lecture  room  with  seating  capacity  of  ioo,  a  museum,  trustees' 
room,  and  two  small  rooms  for  special  study.  The  light  green 
tint  of  the  walls  throughout  the  building  blends  harmoniously 
with  the  color  of  the  oak  furniture.  The  stack  room  is  fireproof, 
the  remainder  of  the  building  of  slow-burning  construction. 
The  cost  of  the  building  itself  was  $40,000 ;  the  furniture,  book 
stacks,  and  fees  amounted  to  $20,000. 

Referring  to  the  cornerstone,  on  the  occasion  of  its  laying, 
March  20,  1901,  Mrs.  Horton  spoke  as  follows: 

"  Let  us  hope  that  it  will  bind  not  only  the  walls  of  our  build- 
ing together,  but  unite  us  as  a  people  in  the  unselfish  desire  for 
the  common  good,  and  our  realization  of  the  common  need.  It 
is  this  desire,  this  realization,  which  prompts  Mr.  Carnegie's 
splendid  gifts  to  humanity,  believing  as  he  does,  with  Lowell, 
that  the  best  part  of  a  man's  education  is  that  which  he  gives 
himself.  This  is  the  opportunity  which  our  public  libraries  fur- 
nish—  the  means  of  self-education. 

"  This  foundation  gives  promise  of  a  substantial  building,  but 
broad  and  deep  as  it  looks,  it  is  '  just  such  stuff  as  dreams  are 
made  of,'  for  this  material  form  was  but  the  '  shadow  of  a  dream  ' 
five  years  ago.  Mr.  Carnegie  is  a  believer  in  dreams.  In  a 
speech  made  in  Dumfries,  Scotland,  he  said:  '  I  would  not  give 
much  for  the  man  who  does  not  dream  dreams.' 

"  What  are  his  benefactions  to-day  but  the  realization  of  the 
dream  of  his  youth,  when  as  a  mill  boy  he  was  given,  with  the 
other  boys  of  Allegheny,  the  privilege  of  using  Mr.  Anderson's 
library?  .  .  .  Our  own  city  to-day  is  the  realization  of  the  dreams 
of  a  man  who  thirty-three  years  ago  next  month  stood  on  these 
heights  above  us  with  a  wilderness  before  him,  but  seeing  clearly 
in  his  mind's  eye  visions  of  a  fair  city.  .  .  .  These  men  were 

196 


CALIFORNIA 

trained  in  a  hard  school,  but  as  their  hands  wrought,  and  they 
grew  strong  with  labor,  their  dreams  were  wings  which  freed 
the  spirit  and  taught  them  to  work  for  humanity." 

On  the  continental  side  of  the  bay  of  San  Francisco,  directly 
opposite  the  Golden  Gate,  lies  Oakland,  the  county  seat  of  Ala- 
meda County,  one  of  the  most  picturesque  cities  on  Qakland 
the  coast.  It  has  a  population  of  about  75,000  in- 
habitants and  its  public  library  is  one  of  the  largest  of  the 
Carnegie  libraries  in  California.  It  was  dedicated  June  30,  1902, 
with  simple  ceremonies,  in  the  presence  of  an  audience  as  large  as 
the  building  could  hold.  President  Wheeler,  of  the  University 
of  California,  was  the  principal  speaker.  On  the  following  morn- 
ing the  festive  decorations  of  the  previous  evening  were  all  re- 
moved and  the  public  was  welcomed  to  its  new  possession.  The 
spaciousness,  the  light,  the  cleanliness,  and  the  beauty  of  the 
new  quarters  were  much  appreciated  by  both  readers  and  staff. 
The  inadequacy  of  the  old  building,  a  frame  structure  exposed 
to  imminent  danger  from  fire,  had  been  felt  for  many  years,  and 
in  1899  a  movement  was  made  to  induce  the  city  fathers  to  put 
into  a  projected  bond  election  a  clause  for  enough  money  to 
house  the  library  properly.  In  the  course  of  the  agitation, 
speeches  were  made  before  the  Board  of  Trade,  Merchants' 
Exchange,  and  similar  bodies.  Articles  were  written  for  the 
papers  showing  the  great  need  and  desire  of  the  people  of  Oak- 
land for  a  new  library  building.  The  papers  containing  these 
speeches,  resolutions,  and  articles  were  mailed  to  Mr.  Carnegie 
by  the  late  H.  A.  Chittenden  of  the  Tribune  staff,  who  had  had 
a  slight  acquaintance  with  him  years  before.  The  outcome 
was  an  offer  in  Mr.  Carnegie's  well-known  form  to  give  $50,000 
for  the  building  if  the  city  would  supply  a  site  and  guarantee  its 
support.  These  conditions  were  met  by  the  city  council,  a  lot 
being  purchased  for  the  sum  of  $20,000  raised  by  a  general  sub- 
scription conducted  by  the  public-spirited  ladies  of  the  Ebell 
Society. 

The  building  is  in  two  stories,  the  street  floor  containing  a 
reading  room  and  a  children's  room,  the  main  floor  a  delivery 
room,  reference  room,  a  small  room  for  the  use  of  the  trustees, 
librarian's  room,  catalogers'  room,  and  the  stack.  The  fagade 
and  the  main  reading  room,  with  its  barrel-vaulted  ceiling,  re- 
mind   one  of  the  Boston    Public   Library  in    miniature.     The 

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CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

children's  room  was  furnished  and  equipped  by  the  ladies  of  the 
Ebell  Society,  who,  not  content  with  their  former  generous 
activity  in  the  matter  of  securing  a  site,  offered  to  raise  for  the 
purpose  a  sum  not  less  than  $5,000,  aiming  to  secure  for  Oak- 
land "  the  most  beautiful  children's  room  in  America."  The 
entire  $50,000  donated  by  Mr.  Carnegie  having  been  expended 
on  the  building  itself,  the  amount  necessary  for  furnishing, 
decorating,  and  finally  completing  the  structure  was  supplied 
by  the  city. 

One  of  the  interesting  features  of  the  Oakland  library  is  the 
art  exhibit  which  has  been  carried  on  for  several  years  with  in- 
creasing interest  and  success.  Paintings  by  artists  of  note  are 
placed  on  exhibition  at  a  slight  expense  to  the  library  for  insur- 
ance and  expressage.  These  are  changed  from  time  to  time.  A 
number  of  paintings  and  other  works  of  art  have  been  secured 
as  permanent  possessions,  notably  a  series  of  large  and  fine  mural 
paintings  to  fill  the  space  at  the  head  of  the  main  staircase,  the 
gift  of  Miss  Marian  Holden  of  San  Francisco. 

Among  the  plans  for  increasing  the  efficiency  of  the  library  is 
one  which  is  capable  of  wide  extension  and  which  it  is  hoped  will 
prove  of  great  benefit.  The  Teachers'  Club  of  Alameda  County 
in  1902  set  aside  $50  for  the  purchase  of  books  on  education  for 
the  library.  These  were  chosen  by  them  and  marked  by  a 
special  bookplate.  On  their  part  the  trustees  agreed  to  expend 
a  like  sum  for  books  on  similar  subjects,  thus  making  an  addition 
of  one  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  books  on  pedagogics.  By  the 
extension  of  this  principle,  additional  money  for  books  can  be 
made  to  yield  a  double  increase  for  the  library. 

The  city  of  Alameda,  forty  minutes'  ride  across  the  bay  from 

San  Francisco,  is  built  on  the  site  of  an  old  Spanish  land  grant, 

which  was  originally  covered  with  trees,  whence  the 

Alameda.  .  t 

name  Alameda.  In  1854  the  town  was  incorporated 
by  act  of  legislature  and  its  boundaries  fixed.  The  second  in- 
corporation took  place  in  1872.  In  the  following  year  an  era  of 
municipal  improvement  began,  and  in  1877  the  Alameda  Free 
Reading  Room  and  Library  Association  was  organized.  Money 
and  books  were  generously  contributed  and  the  institution 
flourished  from  the  start. 

For  many  years  the  trustees  hoped  and  worked  for  a  suitable 
building  for  the  housing  of  their  literary  treasures,  but  without 

198 


CALIFORNIA 

success.  Mr.  Carnegie's  gift,  therefore,  came  as  a  grateful  sur- 
prise. At  the  dedication  of  the  building,  President  Mastick,  who 
had  served  the  library  as  trustee  since  its  establishment  twenty- 
five  years  before,  spoke  of  the  constant  efforts  which  had  been 
made  toward  the  accomplishment  of  the  desired  end.  Their 
struggle,  he  said,  reminded  him  of  the  story  of  the  man  who  early 
in  life  had  acquired  more  riches  than  he  knew  what  to  do  with, 
and  who  conceived  the  idea  of  preparing  during  his  lifetime  a 
grave  in  which  his  bones  should  rest.  He  accordingly  purchased 
a  lot  in  the  cemetery  and  built  a  monument  of  stone,  upon  which 
were  inscribed  certain  words  which  were  kept  carefully  concealed 
by  boards  and  hoops  of  iron.  Time  passed,  and  at  the  ripe  old 
age  of  ninety  this  once  young  man  was  gathered  to  his  fathers. 
At  the  time  fixed  for  his  burial  the  people  collected  curiously 
about  the  tomb.  When  the  inscription  was  revealed  they  saw 
his  name,  the  date  of  his  birth,  and  the  words,  "  I  expected  this, 
but  not  so  soon  !  " 

In  October,  1899,  the  librarian  received  word  from  Mr.  Car- 
negie that  he  would  give  the  last  $10,000  for  a  library  building 
for  the  city  of  Alameda.  An  effort  was  made  to  have  a  bond 
election  called  to  provide  $25,000  additional,  but  the  matter 
failed  to  pass  the  city  trustees.  In  response  to  a  letter  from 
Mr.  G.  H.  Mastick,  written  in  the  spring  of  1901,  thoroughly 
explaining  the  situation,  Mr.  Carnegie  withdrew  his  original 
proposition  and  in  its  place  offered  to  give  $35,000  on  the 
usual  conditions.  As  the  city  already  owned  a  lot,  purchased 
as  early  as  1886,  for  a  library  site,  it  was  easy  to  comply  with 
the  terms  of  the  gift,  and  in  September  the  library  trustees  were 
empowered  to  erect  a  building.  Ground  was  broken  in  May, 
1902,  and  on  July  12  the  cornerstone  was  put  in  position  with 
impressive  Masonic  ceremonies,  conducted  by  the  officers  of 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  state,  in  the  presence  of  a  large  number 
of  citizens.  In  the  stone  was  placed  a  box  containing  a  copy 
of  the  correspondence  with  Mr.  Carnegie,  lists  of  trustees,  cata- 
logs of  the  library,  the  circular  of  competition  for  plans,  with 
names  of  the  architects,  contractors,  and  consulting  architect, 
sketches  of  Mr.  Carnegie  from  recent  periodicals,  copies  of 
local  papers,  and  many  other  articles  of  interest. 

The  formal  dedication  of  the  building  took  place  on  the  even- 
ing of  April  16,  1903,  when  the  beauty  and  spaciousness  of  the 

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CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

structure  received  warm  praise  from  the  throngs  of  citizens  who 
saw  the  interior  for  the  first  time.  The  trustees  and  the  library- 
staff  received  the  guests  and  showed  them  about  the  building, 
while  an  entertainment  was  provided  in  the  form  of  music,  in- 
terspersed with  addresses  by  members  of  the  board  of  trustees 
and  other  citizens.  President  Mastick,  the  first  speaker,  closed 
his  remarks  with  an  appeal  for  subscriptions  to  defray  the  ex- 
penses of  furnishing  the  building  in  a  style  in  keeping  with  its 
beauty,  stating  that  $2,000  of  the  $5,000  needed  had  already 
been  promised  on  condition  that  the  remaining  $3,000  should 
be  raised.     His  words  met  with  an  enthusiastic  response. 

The  building  is  classic  in  design,  with  stone  basement  and  a 
superstructure  of  pressed  and  molded  brick.  The  interior  is 
well  lighted  from  the  sides  as  well  as  by  a  large  skylight  in  the 
central  section  of  the  arched  ceiling.  No  partition  walls  are 
used  inside  the  building  except  for  the  librarian's  room ;  the 
children's  room,  picture  room,  reference  room,  delivery  room, 
and  stack  room,  on  the  main  floor,  are  separated  from  each 
other  by  strong  steel  wire  divisions  about  four  feet  in  height. 
The  galleries  are  utilized  as  reading  rooms.  The  building  is 
throughout  of  a  most  substantial  character.  It  was  opened  for 
the  issuing  of  books  July  29,  1903,  and  now  ranks  fourth  among 
the  free  libraries  of  California  in  number  of  volumes  issued.  A 
branch  reading  room  is  maintained  at  the  west  end  of  the  city. 

San  Josh's  public  library  dates  from  1872.  In  the  spring  of 
that  year,  Mr.  I.  F.  Thomas,  after  making  a  canvass  of  the  busi- 
ness part  of  the  city,  called  a  meeting  at  which  pre- 

Sanjose.  ,.      .  ,      ,  ,  ..   ,  --  ,  ,. 

liminary  steps  toward  the  establishment  of  a  public 
library  were  taken.  On  July  12  of  that  year  a  committee  com- 
posed of  leading  citizens  met  in  the  office  of  Judge  Payne,  and 
perfected  an  organization  which  was  subsequently  incorporated 
under  the  name  of  the  San  Jos6  Library  Association.  The 
object  of  the  association  was  "  the  establishment  of  a  library  and 
reading  room,  the  collection  of  a  cabinet,  scientific  apparatus, 
works  of  art,  and  the  general  diffusion  of  knowledge."  The 
constitution  provided  that  the  association  should  "  not  be  con- 
ducted or  controlled  in  the  interest  of  or  by  any  denomina- 
tional, sectarian  or  political  party,  but  should  be  controlled 
and  managed  in  the  same  broad  and  liberal  spirit  that  actuated 
the  founding."     Thus  the  cooperation  of  all  classes  was  secured 

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CALIFORNIA 

and  success  achieved  from  the  outset.  The  Hon.  A.  Pfister,  then 
mayor  of  the  city,  not  only  befriended  the  new  association,  but 
agreed  to  turn  over  to  it  his  salary,  and  his  immediate  succes- 
sor, Mayor  Murphy,  pursued  the  same  generous  policy.  The 
books  of  the  Y.  M.C.  A.  were  purchased  as  a  nucleus,  and  over 
three  hundred  annual  and  monthly  subscribers  to  the  new  library, 
besides  twenty-five  life  members,  were  secured.  As  the  city  grew 
the  disposition  became  manifest  to  follow  the  course  adopted  by 
other  cities  and  to  make  the  library  free  and  public.  The  move- 
ment crystallized  in  1880  in  an  offer  to  turn  the  library  over  to 
the  city  and  acceptance  was  made  by  ordinance  of  the  mayor 
and  council  on  April  30  of  that  year.  For  six  or  seven  years 
the  new  public  library  was  accommodated  in  rented  rooms. 
Upon  the  completion  of  the  new  city  hall,  quarters  were  pro- 
vided for  the  library  on  the  second  floor.  To  reach  the  library 
from  the  ground  floor  required  the  climbing  of  two  long  flights 
of  stairs.  This  was  the  source  of  considerable  complaint  on  the 
part  of  the  public.  It  was  claimed  that  only  those  made  use  of 
the  library  who  had  good  lung  power  and  were  inspired  by  a 
deep  desire  for  knowledge.  The  library  trustees  always  answered 
this  criticism  by  saying,  that  he  who  would  reach  the  summit  of 
the  hill  of  knowledge  must  needs  climb  the  rugged  path  leading 
thither,  as  no  elevators  had  yet  been  devised  for  reaching  this 
eminence,  though  the  path  had  been  made  much  smoother  in 
recent  years. 

In  1901  San  Jose  received  from  Mr.  Carnegie  a  gift  of  $50,000 
for  the  erection  of  a  library  building.  A  very  desirable  site  in 
Normal  Square  was  secured,  which  furnished  a  park-like  setting 
for  the  building.  The  front  door  opens  into  a  vestibule  ten 
feet  square,  and  this  in  turn  into  a  lobby  leading  to  the  delivery 
hall,  directly  under  the  dome.  On  either  side  of  the  delivery 
hall  is  a  reading  room,  at  the  end  of  each  of  which  is  an  oriel 
window.  In  one  of  these  rooms  shelving  is  so  arranged  that  a 
space  is  practically  walled  off  for  a  children's  reading  room.  The 
librarian's  desk  is  so  placed  that  it  commands  a  view  of  the  entire 
building.  Back  of  it  is  the  stack  room,  with  three  tiers  of  steel 
stacks,  capable  of  holding  45,000  volumes.  The  shelves  in  the 
reading  room  have  a  capacity  of  5,000  volumes.  The  basement 
contains,  besides  boiler  room  and  stack  room,  a  large  open  space 
to  be  used  as  a  lecture  room.     The  walls  of  the  building  are 

201 


CARNEGIE   LIBRARIES 

faced  with  terra  cotta  and  pressed  brick,  with  a  foundation  of 
sandstone.     The  roof  is  of  green  slate  and  the  dome  of  copper. 

The  first  effort  at  Riverside  toward  the  establishment  of  any- 
thing in  the  nature  of  a  public  library  was  made  by  the  early 
pioneers  who  came  to  the  Riverside  colony  with  John 
W.  North.  Those  who  possessed  books  contributed 
from  their  store,  and  the  library  thus  assembled  was  made  free 
to  all.  Those  were  days,  however,  when  there  was  not  much 
leisure  for  reading,  and  the  crude  little  library  received  but 
slight  attention.  The  books  became  scattered  and  when  lost 
were  not  replaced,  so  that  after  a  few  years  it  was  discovered  that 
there  was  but  one  volume  remaining  of  the  original  collection. 

The  Riverside  Library  Association,  out  of  which  has  grown 
the  present  free  public  library,  was  organized  in  1879.  Any 
citizen  was  privileged  to  become  a  member  by  paying  $3  and 
such  dues  and  fines  as  should  from  time  to  time  be  ordered  to 
provide  for  the  library's  maintenance.  The  amount  raised  in 
this  way  being  insufficient  to  provide  such  a  library  as  was 
desired,  an  amateur  dramatic  performance  was  given,  which 
yielded  a  good  sum  to  be  added  to  the  fund.  About  1,000 
volumes  were  purchased  and  a  catalog  printed  for  the  use  of 
the  members.  For  some  time  all  went  well,  but  after  a  fire, 
which  resulted  in  the  injury  of  many  volumes  and  the  entire  loss 
of  others,  the  library  was  closed  and  the  remaining  books  stored 
until  the  times  should  be  more  propitious  for  the  rehabilitation 
of  this  important  institution. 

In  1888  the  books  were  donated  to  the  city  with  the  under- 
standing that  a  free  library  should  be  organized  and  maintained. 
At  the  outset  the  library  occupied  only  two  small  rooms  and 
was  open  to  the  public  on  three  afternoons  and  one  evening  of 
each  week.  When  the  city  leased  the  quarters  in  the  Loring 
block,  ample  accommodations  were  secured  and  a  suitable  room 
was  provided  where  the  public  could  read  magazines  and  news- 
papers and  consult  reference  books. 

The  new  library  building,  thrown  open  for  the  first  time  July 
31,  1903,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $27,000,  from  plans  by  Burn- 
ham  &  Bliesner  of  Los  Angeles.  It  is  in  mission  style,  con- 
structed of  brick,  covered  with  cement  stucco,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  attractive  libraries  in  southern  California.  The  architec- 
tural arrangement  of  the  interior,  with  its  stately  pillars,  beauti- 

202 


CALIFORNIA 

ful  dome,  and  quaint  windows  at  front  and  back,  is  particularly 
suited  to  the  form  of  decorations  used.  The  soft  yellow  coloring 
which  predominates  gives  a  general  effect  of  quietness  and  rest- 
fulness.  At  the  four  prominent  corners  of  the  main  room,  over 
the  arches,  are  figures  representing  Music,  Art,  Literature,  and 
History.  Over  the  small  windows  at  the  back  of  the  building, 
in  scroll  effect,  are  the  words,  Inspiration,  Intelligence,  Origi- 
nality, Imagination,  and  on  either  side  the  names,  Dante, 
Confucius,  Cervantes,  Homer,  Emerson,  and  Shakespeare.  In 
a  similar  position  over  the  main  door  may  be  seen  Fame, 
Honor,  Celebrity,  Glory,  Renown,  Popularity,  and  the  names  of 
Burns,  Hawthorne,  Goethe,  Hugo,  Milton,  and  Longfellow.  Over 
the  lights  between  the  arches  in  front  are  the  mottoes,  set  in 
wreaths,  "  The  noblest  motive  is  the  public  good,"  and  "  They 
are  never  alone  who  are  accompanied  by  noble  thoughts."  Oc- 
cupying a  similar  position  in  the  rear  of  the  room  are  the  mot- 
toes, "  Energy  and  persistence  conquer  all  things,"  and  "  They 
fail,  and  they  alone,  who  have  not  striven." 

Under  the  arch  at  the  rear  of  the  reading  room  is  the  librarian's 
desk.  Behind  it,  within  easy  reach  of  the  assistants,  are  the 
stacks,  with  accommodation  for  50,000  volumes.  The  building 
is  complete  in  every  detail.  A  credit  to  the  donor,  the  archi- 
tect, the  library  trustees,  and  the  citizens,  it  will  remain  one  of 
Riverside's  most  pleasing  attractions  for  many  years  to  come. 

Another  Carnegie  library  in  the  immediate  vicinity  designed 
by  Burnham  &  Bliesner  is  the  one  at  Pomona.  This  building 
has  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  best  planned 

r    .....         .  .   .  .     Pomona. 

structures  01  the  kind  in  the  country,  and  its  general 
arrangement  has  been  copied  in  many  places  —  Alliance,  Ohio, 
and  Everett,  Washington,  among  others. 

In  May,  1887,  the  ladies  of  Pomona  began  a  series  of  flower 
festivals  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  library.  Following  a 
very  successful  festival  an  organization  was  formed,  and  the 
library  was  first  opened  September  10.  From  the  beginning, 
until  her  death  in  February,  1902,  it  was  in  charge  of  Mrs. 
E.  P.  Bartlett,  a  woman  of  wide  culture  and  thoroughly  im- 
bued with  the  spirit  of  the  modern-library  movement,  who 
gave  her  best  efforts  to  its  development.  At  first  the  rooms 
were  open  only  two  afternoons  of  each  week. 

In  July  of  1889  a  beautiful    marble  statue  of  the   goddess 

203 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

Pomona,  brought  from  Italy,  was  given  to  the  city  by  the  Rev. 
C.  F.  Loop,  and  arrangements  were  made  to  place  it  in  charge 
of  the  library  organization.  Rooms  for  the  library  and  the 
statue  were  secured  in  the  First  National  Bank  Building.  The 
following  year  the  ladies  presented  the  library,  then  numbering 
over  1,400  volumes,  as  a  gift  to  the  city,  which  assumed  control 
in  June,  1890.  On  January  1,  1902,  the  annual  fee  of  $1  was 
abolished,  and  the  library  made  free  to  all  residents  of  the  town. 
By  that  time  it  had  grown  to  6,500  volumes  and,  owing  to  the 
wise  selection  of  Mrs.  Bartlett,  possessed  a  remarkably  good 
collection.  The  library  building,  for  which  Mr.  Carnegie  gave 
315,000,  was  opened  June  11,  1903. 

The  entrance,  through  a  triple  archway  reached  by  broad 
steps  and  lighted  by  two  handsome  groups  of  lamps,  leads 
directly  into  a  central  octagonal  hall.  From  the  delivery  desk, 
which  faces  the  front  door,  complete  supervision  may  be  had 
of  the  various  rooms  opening  into  this  main  hall.  At  the  right, 
upon  entering,  is  the  general  reading  room.  In  the  center  of 
the  east  side  of  this  room  is  a  large,  tiled  fireplace,  beside  which 
stands  the  statue  of  Pomona,  resting  upon  a  marble  and  granite 
base.  Back  of  this  room  is  the  children's  room,  along  the  en- 
tire south  side  of  which  is  a  convenient  window  seat;  a  tiled 
alcove  protects  the  drinking  fountain.  Opening  from  this  room 
is  a  ladies'  parlor,  while  another  door  leads  to  the  rear  hallway, 
from  which  access  may  be  had  to  the  second  story,  containing 
a  directors'  room  and  a  newspaper  storeroom. 

At  the  left  of  the  main  entrance,  on  the  first  floor,  is  the  libra- 
rian's office,  separated  from  the  main  hall  by  glass  windows  and 
a  glass-paneled  door.  Beyond  this  is  the  reference  room.  The 
stack  room,  with  a  capacity  of  20,000  volumes  on  one  floor,  oc- 
cupies the  northeast  corner  of  the  building.  Free  access  to  the 
shelves  is  allowed  at  all  times.  A  conveniently  arranged  work- 
room for  the  library  attendants  is  reached  by  a  door  back  of 
the  central  delivery  desk.  A  book  lift,  running  down  to  the 
basement  and  up  to  the  second  story,  is  a  great  help  in  moving 
books. 

The  basement  contains  the  heating  and  ventilating  plant  and 
the  general  unpacking  room.  Opening  from  the  unpacking 
room  on  one  side  is  a  specially  designed  brick  fumigating  vault 
of  commodious  dimensions,  where  all  the  volumes  of  the  library 

204 


H-iss  &  Faville,  Architects.  San  Frani  Photo,  bv  R.  J.  Waters  &  Co. 

OAKLAND,   CALIFORNIA 


S  \N    JOSE,   CAL1FORN1  \ 

Showing  the  location  of  the  Library  in  r 


BURNHAM    &    BLIESNIiR,  ARCHITEI    1  S,    LOS    A.NGI  I.I  - 

POMONA,   CALIFORNIA 


WICHTi 


M\    I'K  INI 

ALAM]  D  \.  CALIFORNIA 


i      RNALD 


€••1  US  r 


BURNHAll    &    BLIESNEK,    ARCHIT]  ;,  bj    DETROIT   PHOl  I    OMPANY 

ANGELES 

RIVERSIDE.    CALIFORNIA 


■  i  - 
SAN  I  A    AN  \,   i  Al.ll  ORNIA 


CALIFORNIA 

are  to  be  fumigated  thoroughly  once  or  twice  a  year.  When 
the  necessary  funds  are  procured,  more  rooms  in  the  basement 
will  be  furnished. 

Copies  of  works  of  art  will  be  hung  in  the  different  rooms 
whenever  this  is  made  possible  through  special  funds  and  gifts. 
A  beginning  has  been  made  in  the  children's  room,  with  a 
number  of  pictures  procured  by  the  librarian  from  the  proceeds 
of  benefit  performances  of  "  Little  Men"  and  "Little  Women  " 
given  by  the  young  people  of  the  town.  The  work  of  the 
children's  room  has  been  given  special  attention  since  the 
opening  of  the  new  building. 

Santa  Ana,  the  county  seat  of  Orange  County,  located  in  the 
center  of  the  fertile  Santa  Ana  Valley,  was  surveyed  and  laid 
off  into  town  lots  in  i860.  It  now  has  about  6,000 
inhabitants,  nearly  one  third  of  the  population  of  the 
county.  Its  new  public  library  affords  another  instance  of  the 
use  of  the  mission  style  of  architecture.  The  building,  con- 
structed of  brick  covered  with  plaster  and  painted,  is  sym- 
metrically and  simply  planned,  not  only  to  meet  the  demands 
of  the  present  but  also  to  afford  ample  opportunity  for  future 
growth.  The  main  entrance  leads  into  the  central  hall  or  ro- 
tunda, which  contains  the  delivery  desk.  The  room  is  amply 
lighted  from  above  by  a  large  dome-shaped  skylight.  At  the 
right  are  the  juvenile  department  and  the  stack  room.  In  the 
rear,  opposite  the  entrance,  is  the  librarian's  room,  command- 
ing a  view  of  the  whole  interior.  At  the  left  is  the  general 
reading  room,  with  windows  on  three  sides.  From  the  rotunda 
a  stairway  leads  to  the  second  floor,  containing,  at  the  back, 
over  the  librarian's  room,  a  room  for  the  use  of  the  trustees,  and 
in  the  front,  over  the  entrance,  an  attractive  loggia  and  balcony. 
Provision  is  made  for  a  second  story  stack  room,  with  a  cata- 
loger's  room  opening  off  from  it.  There  is  also  ample  space  for 
storage. 

Another  staircase  leads  from  the  rotunda  to  the  basement. 
Under  the  stack  room  is  a  newspaper  room.  As  this  room  is 
provided  with  an  outside  entrance  it  can  be  used  independently 
of  the  rest  of  the  library,  and  has  been  found  to  be  one  of  the 
most  comfortable  and  useful  rooms  in  the  building.  The  base- 
ment also  contains  a  workshop  and  a  room  suitable  for  a 
museum  or  for  the  exhibition  of  historical  collections. 

205 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

Mr.  Carnegie's  gift  of  $15,000  for  the  erection  of  the  building 
was  procured  through  the  efforts  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
in  1902.  The  lot  upon  which  the  library  stands  was  given  by- 
Mr.  W.  H.  Spurgeon,  while  the  adornment  of  the  grounds  was 
undertaken  by  the  Native  Sons  of  the  Golden  West.  The  en- 
tire cost  of  the  building  was  about  $16,500. 

The  Santa  Ana  library  is  a  comparatively  young  institution, 
having  become  the  property  of  the  city  in  1 891,  by  purchase 
from  the  Women's  Christian  Temperance  Union.  At  that  time 
it  consisted  of  only  960  volumes. 


206 


CHAPTER    XVII 

LIBRARY   PLANNING 

Responsibility  of  the  Library  Board  —  Necessity  for  Cooperation 
between  Architect  and  Librarian  —  First  Work  must  be  done  by 
the  Librarian  —  Considerations  entering  into  the  Planning  of 
the  Library  — Circular  of  Information  issued  by  the  Carnegie 
Corporation  — The  Essentials  of  a  Small  Building  —  Mr.  John 
Cotton  Dana's  Views  —  Location  of  the  Stacks  —  Location  of 
the  Librarian's  Room  —  The  Question  of  the  Auditorium  —  Plan- 
ning for  a  $20,000  Building  —  Planning  for  a  $50,000  Building  — 
Conclusion. 

AS  Mr.  Dooley  has  assured  us  that  Carnegie  libraries  mean 
architecture,  not  literature,  it  will  be  well  to  consider  in 
.  conclusion  some  general  principles  of  library  planning. 
This  is  not  the  place  to  go  into  the  matter  at  length  ;  yet  there  are 
some  points  on  which  architects  who  have  designed  Carnegie 
libraries  represented  in  this  volume  have  expressed  themselves 
and  can  be  given  a  brief  hearing.  For  example,  Mr.  J.  L. 
Mauran,  of  the  firm  of  Mauran,  Russell  &  Garden,  the  designers 
of  several  Carnegie  libraries,  summed  up  in  a  paper  before  the 
Iowa  Library  Association  his  experiences  and  tenets. 

"  To-day,"  said  he,  "  there  are  many  fine  libraries  assembled 
through  years  of  patient  toil  so  inadequately  housed  as  to  achieve 
but  half  their  purpose ;  but  happily  a  new  era  is  dawning  for  our 
libraries,  and  everywhere  we  see  public-spirited  citizens  rear- 
ing for  themselves  eternal  monuments,  resting  on  foundations 
strengthened  by  every  step  of  progress  and  civilization.  It  is 
this  realization  of  a  noble  opportunity  which  has  been  brought 
home  to  Andrew  Carnegie  and  a  host  of  other  awakening 
philanthropists,  which  is  just  now  giving  a  new,  though  long- 
deferred,  impetus  to  library  building  construction  throughout 
this  broad  land  of  ours.  With  this  new  activity,  new  opportuni- 
ties are  coming  to  library  boards,  librarians,  and  architects  alike, 
and  with  these  opportunities  come  grave  responsibilities  for  us 
all,  which  we  must  meet  with  the  best  there  is  in  us. 

"The  first  phase  to  be  considered  is  the  responsibility  of  the 

207 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

library  board  or  trustees ;  not  only  are  they  facing  the  task  of 
wisely  expending  other  people's  money,  but  they  are  undertak- 
ing therewith  to  set  up  in  lasting  masonry  the  living  proof  of 
their  wisdom  or  folly,  as  the  case  may  be.  What  successful 
business  man  among  them  would  embark  in  a  commercial  build- 
ing enterprise  by  laying  down  his  needs  in  hard  and  fast  terms 
and  then  sending  invitations  broadcast  to  architects — good,  bad, 
and  indifferent  —  telling  them  that  whichever  one  may  make  the 
happy  design  which  tickles  his  fancy  may  be  intrusted  with  the 
work?  Not  one,  I  venture  to  say.  He  would  call  in  a  man  of 
recognized  standing  and  ability  to  cooperate  with  him  and  his 
chief  of  staff,  who  would  later  use  the  building,  in  the  studying 
out  of  a  plan  suited  in  every  way  to  the  requirements,  reserving 
in  many  instances,  I  regret  to  say,  the  other  method  to  experi- 
ment with  when  his  own  money  is  not  involved. 

"  The  board  is  responsible  for  a  start  on  correct  business  lines, 
and  having  employed  the  librarian  through  belief  in  his  ability, 
it  should  allow  the  librarian  to  determine  within  proper  limits 
the  requirements  of  the  building,  which  is  a  most  important  part 
of  his  equipment  in  performing  his  allotted  work,  and  likewise 
the  architect,  after  his  selection,  should  have  an  equal  voice  in 
the  determination  of  architectural  problems  involving  both  the 
librarian's  needs  and  the  board's  desires." 

It  is  usually  agreed,  I  believe,  that  in  planning  a  library  the 
general  outlines  should  be  determined  by  the  architect  and 
librarian  in  consultation.  Of  recent  years  we  have  seen  the 
architects  and  librarians  coming  to  a  better  understanding  of 
one  another.  Mutual  concessions  have  been  made  on  both  sides, 
and  the  architect  has  begun  to  realize  that  he  can  learn  something 
about  what  a  modern  library  building  ought  to  be  by  consulting 
the  librarian,  and  the  latter  has  confessed  his  dependence  upon 
the  architect  for  putting  into  concrete  shape  whatever  is  practi- 
cable in  his  sometimes  unformed  ideas  as  to  the  relation  of  the 
various  parts  of  the  building.  The  change  in  this  respect  is 
illustrated  by  comparing  the  splendid  accommodations  for  the 
public  card  catalog,  the  union  catalogs,  and  the  like  in  the  New 
York  Public  Library  with  the  lack  of  adequate  provision  for  any- 
thing of  this  kind  in  the  Boston  Public  Library.  In  one  case 
the  librarian  planned  for  this  special  feature,  while  in  the  other 
the  architect  was  uninstructed  on  this  particular  need  —  or,  we 
might  say,  the  dimensions  to  which  the  card  catalogs  were  to 
grow  had  not  been  realized.     In  this  connection  it  is  interesting 

208 


LIBRARY    PLANNING 

to  compare  the  first  sketch  of  a  floor  plan  by  Dr.  Billings  with 
that  of  the  finished  building  for  the  New  York  Public  Library. 

There  is  a  general  feeling  that  the  problems  of  adapting  library 
buildings  to  the  changing  methods  of  library  administration  will 
be  worked  out  by  the  library  and  the  architectural  professions 
jointly.  As  stated  by  one  architect,  the  first  work  must  be  done 
by  the  librarian  and  should  consist  in  reducing  to  writing  a 
description  of  the  purpose  and  scope  of  the  library,  particularly 
helpful  if  the  library  be  of  some  such  special  type  as  that  of  a 
college  or  university.  The  study  required  to  formulate  and 
classify  his  own  ideas  would  doubtless  lead  the  librarian  into 
some  new  conceptions  of  the  purpose  of  his  library.  The  future 
as  well  as  the  present  must  be  considered  and  other  libraries 
should  be  visited  with  a  mind  open  for  new  impressions  and 
ready  to  graft  any  improved  ideas  upon  the  parent  stock. 

The  architect,  having  consulted  with  the  librarian,  and  being 
in  possession  of  his  data,  should  study  the  problem  sympatheti- 
cally and  try  to  get  the  point  of  view  of  the  man  who  is  later  to 
administer  the  building  and  the  institution  it  houses.  That  the 
building  should  be  planned  from  the  inside  is  an  axiom  not 
only  approved  by  librarians  but  recognized  as  fundamental  by 
architects.  We  know  of  library  buildings  where  the  design  of 
the  exterior  has  governed  the  arrangement  of  the  interior  to  a 
lamentable  extent,  as  where  a  French  renaissance  exterior  of 
what  would  seem  to  the  passerby  a  one-story  building  encases 
a  three-story  structure.  We  have  seen  that  there  is  no  special 
design  to  which  the  library  exterior  can  be  said  to  conform. 
Like  the  interior,  it  has  changed  with  the  changing  methods  of 
library  administration.  The  problem  has  been  to  provide  rooms 
of  varying  sizes,  arranged  for  the  carrying  on  of  certain  library 
work,  and  the  exterior  is  largely  determined  by  the  arrangement 
of  ^hese  inner  factors. 

Considerations  that  enter  into  the  planning  of  a  library  are : 

(i)  The  nature  of  the  library,  whether  a  college,  university, 
or  a  public  library.  The  books  in  a  university  library  are  used 
intensively  by  a  limited  number  of  readers;  the  undergraduates 
are  not  ordinarily  admitted  to  the  stacks.  In  a  public  library 
the  circulation  feature  is  usually  predominant. 

(2)  Whether  wholly  a  reference  library,  or  partly  for  circula- 
tion, or  an  open  access  library.     If  the  public  is  to  be  admitted 

209 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

to  the  shelves  the  aisles  are  naturally  made  wider  than  if  the 
stack  is  primarily  for  storage  and  is  open  to  the  attendants 
only. 

(3)  The  size  of  the  library.  In  a  very  small  library  free  ac- 
cess is  taken  for  granted  and  wall  shelving  will  suffice.  For  a 
library  requiring  only  a  small  stack  (but  one  tier  high)  and  with 
little  likelihood  of  outgrowing  it,  a  radiating  stack  is  found  to 
reduce  the  difficulties  of  supervision.  Where  more  than  one 
tier  of  metal  stacks  is  built  on  the  radiating  principle  the  cost  of 
construction  is  so  much  higher  than  in  the  ordinary  parallel 
arrangement  as  to  be  prohibitive. 

(4)  The  class  of  books  to  be  housed.  Scientific  and  techno- 
logical books  require  deeper  shelving  than  volumes  of  belles 
lettres.  Books  on  architecture  and  the  fine  arts  require  special 
shelving,  while  newspapers  are  a  problem  by  themselves.  No 
class  of  books  will  eat  up  the  shelving  so  rapidly  as  our  metro- 
politan dailies.  If  the  policy  of  the  library  is  to  include  any 
special  collection  of  considerable  size  along  any  line  it  would 
be  very  helpful  if  it  were  known  in  advance  of  planning  the 
building.  If  bound  newspapers  are  to  be  indulged  in  to  any 
great  extent,  it  would  be  desirable  to  have  the  stack  run  below 
ground  where  the  simplest  form  of  structural  work  could  be 
used  to  accommodate  these  bulky  volumes. 

In  order  to  anticipate  frequent  requests  for  information,  the 
secretary  of  the  Carnegie  Corporation  has  issued  a  circular  con- 
taining notes  on  library  planning  which  are  given  below: 

The  amount  allowed  by  the  Carnegie  Corporation  of  New 
York  to  cover  the  cost  of  a  library  building  is  according  to  a 
standard  based  on  (a)  the  population  which  is  to  pay  the  tax 
for  carrying  on  the  library,  (b)  a  specified  minimum  revenue 
from  such  tax.  The  donation  is  only  sufficient  to  provide 
needed  accommodation,  and  there  will  be  either  a  shortage  of 
accommodation  or  of  money  if  this  primary  purpose  is  not  kept 
in  view  ;  viz.,  to  obtain  the  utmost  useful  accommodation  for  the 
money  consistent  with  good  taste  in  building. 

In  looking  over  hundreds  of  plans  for  small  and  medium-sized 
buildings,  costing  say  from  eight  to  twenty-five  thousand  dollars, 
we  have  noted  some  features  leading  to  waste  of  space  when 
useful  accommodation  might  have  been  secured  by  the  same 
expenditure.  For  instance,  in  a  plan  for  a  ten-thousand-dollar 
library  building  into  which  the  people  go  by  ones,  twos,  and 

210 


LIBRARY   PLANNING 

threes,  we  have  frequently  seen  a  wide  vestibule  of  12,  16,  or 
even  18  feet,  which  results  in  what  amounts  often  to  a  "thorough- 
fare "  of  that  width  to  the  delivery  desk,  which  in  a  square 
building  might  be  20  feet  and  upwards  from  the  entrance.  It 
would  appear,  if  practical  requirements  have  any  bearing  on  the 
matter,  that  an  entrance  hall  or  vestibule  half  that  width  is  ample, 
with  corresponding  gain  in  the  interior.  As  the  size  of  the  build- 
ing increases,  some  modification,  of  course,  is  required. 

The  economical  layout  of  the  building  in  this  and  other 
respects  is  sacrificed  or  subordinated  at  times  to  minor  acces- 
sories, such  as  too  much  or  too  valuable  space  allotted  to  cloak 
rooms,  toilets,  stairs  to  basement  or  cellar,  etc.  Cloak  rooms, 
toilets,  etc.,  should  be  put  in  the  basement,  where  space  is  not 
so  important,  and  not  adjoining  the  entrance  on  the  main  floor, 
where  they  involve  waste  of  accommodation  much  exceeding 
the  net  area  of  cloak  room,  etc. 

Another  cause  of  waste  space  in  this  direction  is  found  in  the 
attempt  to  secure  a  Greek  temple,  or  modification  of  it,  for 
$10,000.  All  that  is  secured  is  the  entrance  and  the  waste  re- 
ferred to. 

The  building  is  expected  to  be  devoted  exclusively  to  (a) 
housing  the  books  and  handing  them  out;  (b)  comfortable 
accommodation  for  reading  them  by  adults  and  children  ;  (V)  lec- 
ture room,  when  introduced  as  a  subordinate  feature  and  not 
adding  disproportionately  to  the  cost  of  the  building ;  (W)  neces- 
sary accommodation  for  heating  plant,  etc.,  without  which  the 
building  could  not  be  used. 

.  Experience  seems  to  show  that  the  best  results  for  a  small 
general  library  are  obtained  by  adopting  the  one-story  and  high 
basement  type  of  building,  of  which  the  depth  (from  front  to 
back)  is  to  the  width  approximately  as  3  is  to  7,  practically  con- 
sisting of  a  small  vestibule  entering  one  large  room  subdivided 
by  bookcases  into  reading  spaces  for  adults  and  children. 

The  rear  and  side  windows  may  be  kept  seven  feet  from  the 
floor,  permitting  continuous  wall  space  for  shelving,  which  will 
be  sufficient  for  the  volumes  in  a  small  community.  For  larger 
communities  in  the  range  under  notice,  a  small  stack  room, 
when  required,  can  be  built  on  the  rear  equal  to  about  one 
third  the  width  of  main  building,  giving  an  inverted  T  plan. 
This  stack  extension  may  be  enlarged  when  future  needs  de- 
mand it,  at  a  minimum  expense  and  without  disturbing  the 
building  or  the  activities  carried  on  within  it. 

The  type  of  building  in  view  gives  the  advantage  of  minimum 
waste  for  passage  space  between  entrance  and  delivery  desk 
placed  in  front  of  a  space  for  librarian's  office,  between  desk  and 

211 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

stack  room,  and  allows  two  large,  well-lighted  rooms  or  spaces 
on  either  side  of  the  passageway,  in  which  readers  are  undis- 
turbed, and  from  the  shape  of  the  rooms  most  of  the  readers 
will  be  out  of  hearing  of  passage  traffic  and  delivery-desk 
conversations. 

The  delivery  desk  should  be  as  close  as  possible  to  the  front 
and  placed  so  as  to  enable  assistants  to  supervise  from  it  as 
much  of  the  floor  as  possible. 

If,  owing  to  the  shape  of  site,  or  for  other  reasons,  a  square 
building  is  decided  upon,  extra  attention  is  required  in  planning 
to  avoid  waste  in  hall  space,  delivery  room,  vestibule,  etc., 
which  waste  is  more  likely  to  occur  in  square  than  in  oblong 
buildings  of  proportions  indicated  above. 

The  high-basement  type  of  building  lends  itself  to  advan- 
tageous arrangement.  The  basement  may  be  devoted  in  part 
to  heating  plant,  fuel,  toilets,  workroom,  and  storage,  and  the 
rest  to  a  lecture  room,  where  such  is  wanted.  When  a  stack 
room  is  provided  above,  the  basement  beneath  it  may  contain 
heating  plant,  etc.,  and  the  front  basement  a  lecture  room. 

Building  libraries  to  pattern  would  be  undesirable,  but  it  is 
desirable  in  planning  to  have  a  plan  in  mind  which  is  con- 
venient in  arrangement,  economical  in  construction,  and  into  the 
exterior  appearance  of  which  a  large  variety  may  be  introduced. 

Librarians  are  by  no  means  of  one  opinion  as  to  what  consti- 
tutes an  ideal  arrangement  even  for  a  small  public  library. 
Some  will  argue  for  a  building  with  a  large  room  and  stack 
extension  at  the  back ;  others  will  claim  that  there  should  be 
a  children's  room  separated  from  the  adults'  room  only  by  glass 
partitions ;  while  a  third  group  will  maintain  that  the  best  ar- 
rangement is  to  have  one  big  room  fitted  with  wall  shelving, 
where  the  public  shall  have  entire  freedom  of  access.  One  of 
the  strong  champions  of  the  latter  class  is  Mr.  John  Cotton 
Dana  of  the  Newark  Free  Public  Library. 

"  In  the  modern  view  of  library  administration  now  held  by 
almost  every  librarian  in  this  country,"  says  Mr.  Dana,  "  the 
work  of  the  building  is  to  make  it  easy  for  people  to  come  into 
immediate  contact  with  a  collection  of  good  books.  A  building 
in  which  this  immediate  personal  contact  is  impossible,  on  ac- 
count of  construction  and  arrangement,  cannot  possibly  contain 
the  kind  of  a  library  that  every  live  librarian  now  wishes  to 
have.  The  open-shelf  system  is  perhaps  not  so  important  from 
the  point  of  view  of  method  as  from  the  point  of  view  of  spirit. 

212 


Plate  113 


ACKERMAN   &   ROSS,  ARCHITECTS,  NEW   YORK 

SAN   DIEGO,   CALIFORNIA 


Photos,  by  H.  R.  Fitch 


CHILDREN'S    ROOM    \l    RAN    KIEGO 


Plate  114 


.  ,v  Miller,  architects,  Chicago  Photo,  bv  e.  b.  Kilbourn 

BELOIT   COLLEGE,  BELOIT,  WISCONSIN 


IOWA   COLLEGE,   GRINN]  I  I  .    IOWA 


Photo,  by  u    s    hi  ndrixson 


£B 

~*                                                    ■ 

^^^<^' 

_>jflH 

^^^^__|__ 

-    nil 

SP**?!f 

WISO  >NSIN    LIBRARY   SCHOOL 

Free  1  .ibrary,  Madi  on,  w  i 

rovided  by  Mr.  I 


Plate  115 


Plate  11(5 


AUDITORIUM    IN    THE    FREE   PUBLIC    LIBRARY 
SCHENECTADY,    NEW   YORK. 

Seating  capacity  :  4.  3 


LIBRARY 

VF    R  VPIDS,    IOWA 


LIBRARY   PLANNING 

Only  by  giving  the  public  access  to  the  books  themselves  can 
you  secure  in  the  management  of  the  library  the  kind  of  spirit 
in  its  administration,  the  kind  of  attitude  toward  the  people  who 
visit  the  library,  which  will  make  it  a  grateful  and  hospitable 
place.  No  one  of  good  judgment  ventures  to-day  to  dogmatize 
about  the  character  of  library  building.  Libraries  are  going  to 
change  in  their  management  in  the  next  ten  years,  just  as  they 
have  changed  in  the  last  ten  years.  What  those  changes  will 
be  we  cannot  tell.  Buildings  erected  thirty  years  ago,  twenty 
years  ago,  ten  years  ago,  to  say  nothing  of  those  of  yesterday, 
are  all  poor  because  not  adapted  to  present-day  needs.  We 
are  pretty  sure  only  of  this  much,  that  every  library  is  going 
to  need  more  floor  space  than  it  now  thinks  it  will  need ;  that 
every  library  needs  light ;  that  the  more  you  can  get  in  of  floor 
space  and  the  fewer  stairs,  the  better. 

"  My  advice  in  general  to  any  town  would  be  to  build  as 
large  a  building,  I  mean  one  to  cover  as  much  ground,  as  funds 
permit.  Put  in  no  permanent  partitions  save  those  necessitated 
by  stairs,  closets,  etc.  Do  not  fasten  any  furniture  to  the  build- 
ing, no  desks  to  the  floors,  or  bookcases  to  the  walls.  Have 
the  bookcases  made  independent  so  that  they  can  be  moved. 
Build  the  bookcases  of  wood,  9  or  12  feet  long.  Add  a  stack 
wing  to  store  the  little-used  books  in.  When  you  have  moved 
into  the  building,  arrange  the  room,  desks,  bookcases,  tables, 
and  chairs  as  seems  advisable.  With  growth  —  and  there  will 
be  growth,  and  changes  of  method  —  shift  your  bookcases  and 
furniture  and  adjust  yourself  to  new  conditions.  I  have  yet 
to  visit  a  library  where  there  is  not  much  regret  because  the 
architect  built  a  building  that  is  not  flexible  and  adjustable 
to  present-day  uses." 

In  the  average  small  public  library  there  is  no  question  but 
that  the  librarian's  desk  should  be  located  fairly  near  the  de- 
livery desk.  Formerly  it  was  the  practice  to  have  the  libra- 
rian's office  a  closed  room  with  solid  partitions  extending  to  the 
ceiling.  While  this  gives  privacy,  it  does  not  enable  the  libra- 
rian to  supervise  from  the  workroom.  In  some  of  the  newer 
buildings  the  librarian's  room  is  merely  a  glass  cage  with  cup- 
boards and  work  table  built  up  to  the  height  of  an  ordinary 
desk  and  plate-glass  partitions  running  up  to  the  height  of  wall 
shelving.  In  this  way  the  librarian  can  continue  to  work  and 
maintain  a  certain  degree  of  supervision  over  the  reading  room, 
yet  have  some  privacy.  In  the  very  small  libraries  which  are 
open  only  part  of  the  day,  no  librarian's  room  is  necessary,  as 

213 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

work  not  done  at  the  desk  can  be  done  in  a  basement  work- 
room, or  other  part  of  the  building. 

The  common  practice  is  to  place  the  stacks  directly  behind 
the  delivery  desk  where  they  will  be  most  accessible  to  the 
desk  assistant  and  at  the  same  time  occupy  the  least  attractive 
part  of  the  building.  In  some  libraries,  however,  the  stacks 
have  been  put  to  one  side  of  the  delivery  desk,  thus  enabling 
the  desk  assistant  to  keep  an  eye  on  the  stacks  without  leaving 
the  desk.  In  other  words,  people  using  the  stack  are  still 
under  supervision  by  the  desk  attendants  rather  than  behind 
their  backs.  In  the  new  City  Library  at  Springfield,  Mass.,  a 
novel  arrangement  of  stack  for  a  public  library  of  half  a  million 
volumes  has  been  adopted,  and  its  advantages  in  administration 
merit  investigation.  In  this  plan  the  fiction  is  shelved  in  a  por- 
tion of  the  delivery  room,  and  the  more  active  books  of  other 
classes  are  on  open  shelves  in  the  reading  and  reference  rooms. 
The  less  active  books  are  placed  in  the  stack,  which,  instead  of 
extending  several  stories  in  height,  is  in  the  basement  under 
the  delivery  and  reference  rooms,  covering  a  large  amount  of 
space  laterally  and  only  two  tiers  high.  This  arrangement 
makes  it  very  easy  to  obtain  books  from  the  stack  by  sending 
a  page  from  the  reference  room  or  the  delivery  room,  mini- 
mizes stair  climbing,  and  obviates  the  necessity  of  book-carry- 
ing machinery  or  of  stationing  employees  in  the  different 
portions  of  the  stack.  In  the  new  library  at  Portland,  Oregon, 
the  stack  is  to  be  in  the  dark  center  of  the  building,  depending 
entirely  upon  artificial  illumination,  as  argued  for  by  Mr.  Ber- 
nard R.  Green,  late  superintendent  of  the  building  of  the  Library 
of  Congress.  In  this  way  the  reading  rooms  and  workrooms 
will  be  accommodated  around  the  outer  edge  of  the  building, 
enjoying  the  sunlight,  while  the  necessity  and  expense  of  a 
courtyard  will  be  obviated. 

One  item  that  will  help  decide  the  question  of  the  size  of 
the  stack  needed  is  the  average  annual  growth  of  the  library. 
For  the  average  public  library  it  will  be  necessary  to  consider 
in  this  connection  such  factors  as  the  number  of  books  dis- 
carded each  year  and  the  number  of  these  that  are  replaced. 
In  a  college  or  university  library  the  discards  are  comparatively 
few,  being  mainly  in  the  class  of  textbooks  and  required  or 
collateral  reading.     In  the  smaller  public  library  the  average 

214 


LIBRARY    PLANNING 

number  of  books  out  in  circulation  will  enter  into  the  problem. 
A  given  amount  of  shelving  will  accommodate  a  certain  number 
of  books ;  but  if  in  a  small  library  one  fifth  of  the  collection  is 
as  a  rule  out  in  circulation  only  four  fifths  the  amount  of  shelv- 
ing is  necessary  that  would  be  required  if  the  books  were  not 
allowed  to  circulate  or  were  of  a  character  which  would  not 
tempt  readers  to  borrow  them.  Of  course,  it  is  at  no  time 
desirable  to  have  all  the  shelves  filled  to  overflowing.  From 
a  fourth  to  a  third  of  vacant  shelf  room  ought  to  be  available 
for  shifting  the  collection  when  large  additions  are  made,  or 
when  reclassification  of  any  section  becomes  desirable. 

The  custodians  of  many  of  our  smaller  public  libraries  feel 
more  and  more  the  necessity  for  constant  "  weeding  out "  of 
their  collections,  sending  to  the  larger  depository  libraries  of 
the  neighborhood  such  material  as  has  not  been  called  for  within 
a  given  time,  or  disposing  by  sale  of  items  which  seem  unsuited 
to  their  particular  clientele.  This  tends  to  keep  down  the  size 
of  the  collection  and  to  prevent  its  growing  too  rapidly  out  of 
its  shelf  accommodations. 

"  The  auditoriums,  which  have  been  a  favorite  provision  in 
the  Carnegie  plans,"  remarks  the  Library  'Journal1  editorially, 
"  have  been  little  used,  perhaps  because  library  trustees  in  en- 
deavoring to  restrict  their  use  to  purposes  auxiliary  to  or  in* 
line  with  library  work  have  in  some  measure  repressed  their 
use.  The  librarian  of  the  modern  type  has  come  to  regard  his 
facilities  and  books  as  the  enterprising  merchant  regards  his 
store  and  stock,  in  a  common  desire  to  make  the  most  of 
his  plant  and  push  circulation  or  sales  to  the  utmost.  It  would 
seem  that  the  library  auditorium  might  well  have  more  atten- 
tion in  line  with  this  policy,  just  as  the  great  department  stores 
have  auditoriums  which  are  used  to  attract  customers  indirectly 
to  their  wares.  It  has  been  suggested  that  the  success  of  the 
story-telling  hour  in  connection  with  the  children's  room  might 
furnish  a  hint  for  the  Carnegie  auditorium,  as  by  the  reading  of 
extracts  from  books  or  the  development  of  courses  in  literary 
reading.  This  has  already  been  done  for  the  blind,  who  would 
incidentally  be  more  freely  and  fully  served  if  this  method  could 
be  adopted  for  the  benefit  of  the  general  reader.  Ultimately 
perhaps  the  phonograph  could  be  used  for  such  reading.  Cer- 
tainly any  suggestion  is  worth  consideration  which  will  make 
the  auditorium  an  essential   working   part  of  the  library  and 

1  June,  1910,  vol.  35,  p.  242. 

215 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

insure  its  utilization  to  introduce  those  who  cannot  or  do  not 
read  for  themselves  to  the  pleasure  and  use  of  books." 

Louis  W.  Claude,  senior  member  of  the  firm  Claude  & 
Starck,  whose  work  in  designing  libraries  is  well  represented 
among  the  illustrations  to  the  present  work,  read  a  paper 
several  years  ago  before  the  Wisconsin  Library  Club  on  "  Some 
Recent  Developments  in  Small  Library  Design."  From  the  help- 
ful advice  given,  we  quote  the  following : 

"  The  exterior  design  may  be  in  one  of  many  styles,  only  it 
must  be  carefully  and  intelligently  carried  out  in  whatever  style 
is  chosen.  The  building  should  be  simple,  refined,  and  digni- 
fied as  becomes  a  temple  of  learning.  Freak  architecture  has 
no  place  in  library  design.  The  building  of  simple  classic  lines, 
while  sometimes  grieving  the  architect  gifted  with  original  ideas, 
will  probably  always  be  the  favorite  type  of  this  class  of  build- 
ing, but  excellent  designs  have  been  made  in  the  English  Col- 
legiate style,  also  in  the  California  Mission  style  ;  some  few  upon 
original  but  logical  lines,  and  these,  to  my  mind,  are  the  most 
satisfactory  of  all,  as  they  represent  intelligent  growing  thought, 
not  the  mere  knowledge  of  the  antiquarian  who  reproduces  in- 
telligently, perhaps,  but  does  not  give  birth  to  a  new  idea. 

"The  entrance  to  the  building  is  usually  through  a  vestibule 
halfway  between  outside  grade  and  first-floor  level,  with  stairs 
leading  to  the  basement  from  this  vestibule,  and  doors  at  the 
top  of  landing  to  prevent  disturbance  to  readers  if  the  basement 
rooms  are  in  use  during  open  hours.  An  outside  entrance 
directly  into  the  basement  is  desirable,  and  under  some  con- 
ditions necessary.  In  the  smaller  buildings  no  stairs  from  the 
librarian's  room  to  the  basement  are  necessary,  but  they  are 
desirable  in  larger  buildings. 

"  The  basement  plan  may  be  varied  to  meet  special  needs, 
more  or  less  elaborate  according  to  the  size  and  cost  of  the 
building.  For  buildings  of  medium  size  an  excellent  arrange- 
ment is  as  follows:  A  large  lecture  room,  seating  from  150  to 
200  or  300;  dressing  room  for  lecture  room;  small  class  or 
study  rooms ;  a  workroom  for  librarian  ;  boiler  and  fuel  rooms  ; 
janitor's  storage  room  and  toilet  rooms.  In  addition  to  these 
rooms  a  vault  for  storage  of  documents  and  newspaper  files,  and 
a  book-storage  room,  may  be  put  in  to  advantage  if  sufficient 
room  is  available.  In  several  places  a  men's  smoking  and  news- 
paper room  is  furnished  in  the  basement,  where  men  can  read 
and  smoke  without  feeling  it  necessary  to  change  their  working 
clothes.     If  this   room  is  put  in,  a  separate  outside  entrance 

216 


LIBRARY    PLANNING 

should  always  be  provided.  There  should  be  a  separate  toilet 
for  this  room,  and  a  fireplace  for  ventilation. 

"  The  small  classrooms,  while  at  present  not  very  generally 
used,  will,  I  think,  be  found  more  and  more  useful  in  the  future 
as  a  place  where  lectures  can  be  given  to  small  classes  on  special 
subjects  and  where  young  men  and  women  who  have  not  had 
the  advantage  of  high  school  or  university  education  can  be 
intelligently  assisted  in  pursuing  their  favorite  subjects. 

"  Ample  windows  should  be  provided  so  as  to  thoroughly 
light  every  part  of  the  building.  Ordinarily  the  front  windows 
should  be  full-length  windows  of  the  usual  check-rail  type,  and 
the  side  and  rear  windows  should  be  about  7  feet  6  inches  above 
the  floor  to  permit  stacks  of  seven  shelves  in  height  being  placed 
under  them.  This  arrangement  is  absolutely  essential  to  secure 
book  space  with  the  present  open  arrangement.  The  high  win- 
dows should  be  hinged  at  the  bottom  to  swing  in.  Chandeliers 
hung  from  the  ceiling  for  general  illuminating,  with  special  wall 
lights  over  bookcases,  all  controlled  from  switches  at  the  libra- 
rian's desk,  seem  to  give  the  best  satisfaction.  Table  lights  are 
very  pleasant,  but  fix  the  position  of  the  tables ;  and  if  switched 
from  the  desk,  complicate  the  wiring  system  considerably. 

"  Seats  at  the  sides  of  the  entrance  and  extending  out  into 
the  room  serve  the  double  purpose  of  forcing  patrons  to  pass 
close  to  the  librarian's  desk,  and  also  provide  a  place  where  per- 
sons waiting  for  a  friend  to  secure  books  may  rest  without  dis- 
turbing the  readers.  A  book  lift  is  a  good  thing  in  the  larger 
buildings,  but  not  necessary  in  small  libraries. 

"  The  furniture  should  be  substantial  and  good  in  design,  but 
not  too  heavy;  tables  should  seat  not  more  than  six  persons. 
The  first-story  floor  should  be  covered  with  cork  carpet.  Ample 
bulletin  space  should  be  provided.  The  two  upper  shelves  in 
the  children's  room  can  be  boarded  up  and  covered  with  cork 
carpet  on  which  pictures  can  be  tacked,  forming  a  very  attrac- 
tive and  instructive  display.  Cupboards  can  also  be  provided 
in  some  of  these  spaces. 

"  A  fireplace  is  not  only  ornamental,  but  useful  in  adding  to 
the  cheerfulness  of  the  room  and  in  improving  the  ventilation. 
A  wash  bowl  should  be  placed  in  the  librarian's  room  for  her 
special  convenience. 

"  It  is  seldom  the  case  that  a  really  adequate  system  of  venti- 
lation is  installed  in  the  small  library  on  account  of  the  cost ;  but 
something  may  be  done  in  this  line  by  means  of  indirect  radi- 
ators supplied  with  air  from  the  outside  and  opening  into  the 
various  rooms.  These,  with  the  assistance  of  the  fireplaces,  will 
give  at  least  a  certain  amount  of  fresh  air.     Direct  radiation 

217 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

should  be  placed  under  the  windows  and  in  special  recesses  in 
wall  shelving.  The  tints  on  walls  and  ceilings  should  be  rich  and 
soft,  the  wall  tints  much  darker  than  those  on  the  ceiling,  and  the 
woodwork  and  furniture  should  harmonize  with  both." 

Mr.  J.  L.  Mauran  discussed  in  the  paper  quoted  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  chapter  some  of  the  problems  surrounding  the 
planning  of  libraries  rather  larger  than  those  which  Mr.  Claude 
had  in  mind.  "  One  of  our  most  serious  difficulties  in  the  past," 
said  Mr.  Mauran,  "  has  been  to  convince  library  boards  with 
$50,000  to  expend,  and  no  more,  that  they  must  not  expect  to 
secure  for  that  sum  not  only  equal  space,  but  every  facility  and 
the  minutiae  of  appliances  enjoyed  by  the  city  library  costing 
from  $200,000  to  $500,000.  It  is  a  physical  impossibility  to 
accomplish  such  a  miraculous  result,  and  perhaps  throw  in  an  art 
room,  a  lecture  hall,  and  museum  as  well.  The  price  being 
fixed,  the  architect  must  be  the  judge  of  how  large  the  building 
can  be  with  a  given  material  or  with  a  given  size,  and  what 
materials  can  be  employed.  Taking  as  a  basis  for  description 
the  sum  of  $50,000,  and  speaking  generally,  the  following  type 
of  building  is  usually  best  suited  to  the  needs  of  a  community 
having  such  a  sum  to  expend  : 

"  A  two-story  and  basement  building  containing  on  the  main 
floor,  besides  the  necessary  vestibule,  staircase  space,  cloak  room, 
staff  lavatory,  etc.,  a  delivery  hall  containing  the  catalog  cases, 
tables  and  chairs,  say  25  X  32  feet,  connecting  with  the  working 
space,  say  10  X  12  feet,  by  means  of  the  delivery  desk  and  the 
entrance  and  exit  turnstiles,  if  the  stack  room  be  open  to  the 
public  as  a  whole  or  in  part,  the  working  space  flanked  by  rooms, 
say  12  x  14  feet,  for  the  librarian  and  the  cataloging;  a  three- 
tier  stack  room  (fireproof),  say  17  X  32  feet,  with  a  capacity 
without  extension  of  40,000  books,  and  shelving  enough  for  the 
immediate  housing  of,  say,  14,000  volumes;  a  reading  room,  say 
31  X  38  feet,  which  in  this  type  of  building  should  answer  also 
for  the  periodical  room ;  a  reference  room,  say  12  x  24  feet,  and 
a  special  study  room,  12  X  12  feet,  while  a  children's  room, 
10  X  38  feet,  would  complete  the  equipment  of  this  floor.  The 
larger  rooms  should  be  fitted  with  shelving  six  feet  high  on  all 
sides,  designed  as  part  of  the  room  accessories  and  adding 
enormously  to  our  capacity  for  housing  the  books. 

"  The  basement  should  be  light,  airy,  and  attractive,  and  here 
should  be  located,  besides  the  heating  apparatus,  the  necessary 
lavatories,   a  comfortable  staff  room,  storage   and    unpacking 

218 


LIBRARY    PLANNING 

rooms,  perhaps  a  newspaper  room  regulated  by  such  rules  re- 
garding smoking,  etc.,  as  suggested  by  the  class  of  users.  In 
addition  here  may  be  gathered  in  a  proper  room  bound  news- 
papers, government  and  patent  reports,  and  all  bulky  volumes 
seldom  referred  to. 

"  For  the  present  the  second  floor  may  be  devoted  to  art 
room,  lecture  hall,  director's  room,  classrooms,  or  what  you  will, 
so  long  as  its  main  portions  be  not  too  much  cut  up  into  small 
spaces,  for  here  it  will  be  that  the  inevitable  future  expansion  of 
every  healthy  library  will  find  its  necessary  unoccupied  space, 
and  will  not  find  the  board  unprepared  to  meet  an  emergency 
which  is  bound  to  arise.  This  economy  of  forethought  affect- 
ing construction  cannot  be  too  strongly  urged  as  a  duty  owed  by 
the  board  and  architect  alike  to  the  generations  to  come. 

"  For  the  exterior,  such  a  building  as  above  outlined  may  be 
inclosed  all  in  terra  cotta  of  any  desired  color,  or  in  brick  freely 
embellished  with  terra  cotta  to  relieve  the  severity  of  an  all- 
brick  structure.  Many  people  are  prejudiced  in  favor  of  an  all- 
stone  construction  for  a  library  building  by  the  feeling  that  added 
dignity  is  thus  gained  for  this  quasi-public  structure.  Such  a 
view  is  generally  held  through  lack  of  evidence  at  hand  that 
thoroughly  monumental  buildings  of  the  less  expensive  materials 
do  actually  exist.  In  the  Sedalia  Carnegie  library  we  recom- 
mended the  use  of  all  white  terra  cotta.  In  the  John  H.  Garth 
memorial  at  Hannibal,  brick,  stone,  and  terra  cotta,  while  in  the 
Kansas  State  Normal  School  library  and  the  Decatur  Carnegie 
library  we  have  demonstrated  the  fact  that  a  thoroughly  monu- 
mental building  can  be  designed  in  artistic  brickwork  embellished 
freely  with  terra  cotta.  If  stone  is  insisted  upon  you  will  readily 
see  that  our  dimensions  must  be  cut  down,  for  the  coat  must  be 
cut  according  to  the  cloth.  If  greater  solidity  seems  to  be  a  desir- 
able departure,  why  not  make  that  solidity  valuable  rather  than 
sentimental,  —  in  other  words,  we  believe  a  step  in  the  right  di- 
rection would  be  taken  should  the  size  be  reduced  sufficiently  to 
provide  for  a  fireproof  structure  which  would  be  a  lasting  bene- 
fit, rather  than  make  the  same  sacrifice  to  achieve  a  purely 
imaginary  increase  in  structural  beauty." 

A  location  that  must  present  architectural  fagades  on  all  sides 
is  unfavorable  to  extension.  It  is  better  to  have  a  distinct 
front  and  rear.  A  corner  lot  or  a  site  with  parking  all  around  it 
necessitates  a  greater  expenditure  for  building  materials,  while  an 
inside  lot,  with  good  frontage,  admits  of  a  utilitarian  stack  in  the 
rear  without  any  architectural  pretensions  whatsoever.  Sloping 
ground  is  advantageous  for  practical  reasons  as  giving  a  chance 

219 


CARNEGIE    LIBRARIES 

for  a  high  basement  in  the  rear,  with  two  or  more  stack  levels 
below  the  main  reading-room  floor.  Of  course,  it  is  desirable 
that  the  library  should  be  separated  from  other  buildings  as  far 
as  possible,  so  as  to  give  an  abundance  of  light  and  air  on  all 
sides  and  to  diminish  the  danger  from  fire. 

To  sum  up.  The  first  thing  for  a  board  of  trustees  to  do  in 
planning  a  library  building  is  to  get  a  good  librarian ;  the  sec- 
ond to  secure  a  competent  architect.  Librarians  and  architects 
are  coming  to  recognize  where  their  separate  provinces  lie,  what 
bonds  they  have  in  common,  and  how  they  can  co-operate  in 
building  the  libraries  of  the  future,  which,  while  beautiful,  must 
first  and  foremost  serve  the  purposes  of  the  institutions  they 
house. 


220 


INDEX   TO    TEXT 


Ackerman  &  Ross,  101,  108 
Alameda,  198-200 
Alcott  Club,  144 
Amsterdam,  N.  Y.,  93 
Anderson,  Col.  James,  8-9 
Architectural  Record,  153-155 
Atlanta,  107-112 
Attendance  at  branches,  57 
Audsley,  Messrs.  W.  &  G.,  83 

Babb,  Cook  &  Willard,  41 

Baraboo,  Wis.,  164-165 

Bartlett,  Mrs.  E.  P.,  203,  204 

Beardsley,  A.  H.,  160,  161-162 

Beloit  College,  14-16 

Bertram,  James,  141 

Bigelow,  Erastus  B.,  82 

Bigelow,  Horatio  N.,  82 

Bigelow,  John,  30,  33 

Bigelow  Free  Library,  Clinton,  Mass., 
81 

Billings,  Dr.  J.  S.,  18,  19,  20-21,  48 

Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  87-92 

Boston  Transcript,  12-13 

Bostwick,  Dr.  A.  E.,  42-49,  57-59 

Bowerman,  George  F.,  95-101 

Brett,  W.  H.,  141 

Brooklyn  branches:  general,  62-78; 
architects,  selection  of,  67-69,  — 
instructions  to,  69-77;  Carroll 
Park,  77;  character  of  buildings, 
71-72;  cost,  70-71;  Flatbush,  77; 
requirements,  72-73;  sites,  69-70; 
suggested  features,  75-76;  types, 
65-67;  Williamsburg,  74-75,  77 

Bryan,  Mrs.  W.  J.,  176 

Burnham  &  Bliesner,  202,  203 

Carnegie,  Andrew,  special  mention  of, 

1-6,    7-l8,    II6-II7,    II8-II9,    122, 

128-130,  151,  166,  178,  196;  quoted, 

7,  8,  19,  46,  50,  102-103,  122-123, 

125,  129,  131-137,  Hi 
Carnegie   Corporation   of   New  York, 

15-18,  210-212 
Carnegie   Institute,   Pittsburg,    122- 

126;  dedication,  129-138 


Carnegie  Technical  Schools,  129,  133 
Carrere  &  Hastings,  41 
Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  114-115 
Cheyenne,  Wyo.,  187-190 
Children,  work  with,  52-55,  98,  126, 

143-147,  148-150,  151,  186 
Cincinnati  branches,  1 39-1 41 
Claude,  Louis  W.,  216-218 
Cleveland,  O.,  141- 150 
Cleveland,  Grover,  122 
Clinton,  Mass.,  81-82 
Clinton  (Iowa)  library  election,  167 
Colorado  Springs,  190-193 
Cook,  Walter,  34-37 
Crunden,  F.  M.,  180 

Dallas,  Tex.,  183-184 

Dana,  John  Cotton,  212-213 

Davenport,  la.,  172-174 

Dewey,  Melvil,  11,  12,  150-151 

Dillon,  Judge  John  F.,  172 

District  of  Columbia  Public  Library, 

95-103 
Donations,  method  of  giving,  7-16; 

total  amounts,  15 
Dooley,  Mr.,  207 
Doxsee,  J.  W.,  168-170 
Drury  College,  179 
Dunham,  Mrs.  S.  F.,  168 

East  Orange,  N.  J.,  93-94 

Eldora,  la.,  1 71-172 

Elections,  popular,  89-91,  166-168 

Elkhart,  Ind.,  160-162 

Estournelles  de  Constant,  baron  d', 

137-138 
Exall,  Mrs.  Henry,  183 

Fairy  tales,  145 

Fiction  in  libraries,  94,  97,  100,  120 

Fort  Worth,  Tex.,  185-186 

Frank  Miles  Day  &  Brother,  155 

Franklin  Fraternity,  79 

Freeport,  la.,  162-163 

French,  Alice,  172 

Frew,  W.  N.,  131,  134 

Fuller  &  Pitcher,  92 


22 1 


INDEX   TO    TEXT 


Gilman,  Daniel  C,  15 
"Gospel  of  Wealth,"  7-8 
Grammer,  Rev.  C.  E.,  il5-"7 
Green,  Bernard  R.,  102,  214 
Guastavino  method,  82 
Clinton's  Magazine,  49 

Hagerstown,  Md.,  104-107 

Hamerschlag,  Dr.  A.  A.,  133 

Hamlin,  Prof.  A.  D.  F.,  instructions 
to  architects,  69-77;  planning 
Brooklyn  branches,  62-64;  report 
on  Brooklyn  branches,  64-69 

Hill,  Frank  P.,  62-63,  70 

Holden,  Marian,  198 

Holland,  William  J.,  122,  132-133 

Home  libraries,  148-150 

Horton,  Mrs.  A.  E.,  194,  195,  196-197 

Howard  Library,  Nashville,  112 

Hutchins,  Frank  A.,  152 

Iowa  Library  Commission  Report, 
166. 

Jacksonville,  Fla.,  119-121 
Jardine,  Kent  &  Jardine,  94 
Jenks,  W.  L.,  150 
Jennings,  Mrs.  Sarah  J.,  185 
Johnson,  Mary  Hannah,  113-114 
Johnstown,  N.  Y.,  92-93 

Kaukauna,  163-164 
Kiessling,  Calvin,  173,  193 

Lacy,  H.  A.  &  S.  O.,  91 

Laird,  Warren  Powers,  155 
Leavenworth,  Kan.,  175-176 
Library  Journal,  215-216 
Lincoln,  Neb.,  176 
Longfellow,  Alden  &  Harlow,  125 
Lunt,  Horace  G.,  190-191 

Mabie,  Hamilton  W.,  1-6 
McKim,  Mead  &  White,  41 
Madison,  Wis.,  152-160 
Magee,  C.  L.,  124,  132 
Mann,  Edgar  P.,  178-179 
Marcosson,  Isaac  N.,  54-55,  104 
Marshalltown,  la.,  170-171 
Mastick,  G.  H.,  199,  200 
Mauran,  John  L.,  180,  207-208,  218- 

219 
Melrose,  Mass.,  79-80 
Miles  Park,  147 
Moeller,  Theodore  von,  137 
Monticello,  la.,  167,  168-170 
Morris,  Robert,  188 


Nashville,  11 2-1 14 

Negro  readers  and  reading,  1 19-12 1 

New  York  City  branches:  general, 
19-61;  documents  relating  to,  19- 
33;  East  Broadway,  55;  East  67th 
Street,  59-60;  Hudson  Park,  51- 
54,  59;  Manhattan,  architecture, 
34-37,  —  documents,  38-41 ;  Mott 
Haven,  60-61;  Rivington  Street, 
56,  59;  Tompkins  Square,  54-55; 
Tottenville,  61;  Washington  Ave- 
nue, 61;  West  35th  Street,  60; 
Yorkville,  50-51,  57~59 

New  York  Evening  Post,  50-51 

New  York  Public  Library,  43,  208- 
209 

Newcomer,  B.  F.,  104 

Norfolk,  Va.,  11 5-1 17 

Norwalk,  Conn.,  82-84 

Oakland,  Cal.,  197-198 

Page,  Walter  H.,  106 

Patton  &  Miller,  162,  172,  180,  189 

Peel,  Mrs.  Wm.  Lawson,  111-112 

Perry,  I.  G.,  91 

Philadelphia,  84-86 

Pittsburg,  122-138 

Planning  libraries:  general,  207-220; 
architectural  essentials,  153-155; 
Atlanta,  108-112;  auditoriums, 
215-216;  Brooklyn,  62-77;  Car- 
negie Corporation  circular,  210- 
212;  Cleveland,  139-149;  Colorado 
Springs,  191-193;  considerations, 
209-210;  J.  C.  Dana  on,  212-213; 
librarian's  desk,  213;  location,  219- 
220;  Madison,  153-159;  Manhattan 
branches,  34-37;  Mauran  on,  207- 

208, 218-219; New  York  City>  57- 

61,  65-67;  roof -gardens,  56;  selec- 
tion of  architects,  67-69;  small 
library  design,  216-218;  stacks, 
214-215;  summary  of  chapter  on, 
220 

Plumb,  Mrs.  Amelia  F.,  88 

Plumb,  Col.  Ralph,  163 

Pomona,  Cal.,  202-205 

Port  Huron,  Mich.,  150-151 

Post,  George  B.,  101 

Pratt,  Enoch,  10 

Pretlow,  Mary  Denson,  51-54 

Reading  and  Carnegie  libraries,  42-49 
Reid,  Whitelaw,  7 
Richmond,  Edward  G.,  115 
Ricker,  Prof.  N.  C,  173 
Riverside,  Cal.,  202-203 


222 


INDEX    TO    TEXT 


Rives,  G.  L.,  21,  30 
Robinson,  Dr.  J.  R.,  191 
Roof -garden  reading-rooms,  56 
Roosevelt,  Theodore,  10-11, 102, 130- 

131 
Rosengarten,  J.  G.,  85-86 

San  Diego,  Cal.,  194 
Sanguinet,  M.  R.,  176 
San  Jose,  Cal.,  200-202 
Santa  Ana,  Cal.,  205-206 
Sedalia,  Mo.,  180-182 
Selden,  Dr.  William,  115,  116 
Smith,  D.  H.,  181 
Southern  Library  School,  HI 
Spencer,  Herbert,  i32 
Springfield,  Mo.,  178-180 
Stafford,  Oliver  M.,  141 
Streator,  111.,  163 
Strong,  Rev.  Josiah,  187 
Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  87 


Taft,  William  H.,  118 
Taylor,  R.  R.,  118 
Thanet,  Octave,  172 
Titcomb,  Mary  L.,  104-107 
Traveling  library  plans,  104-107, 148- 

150 

Trentanove,  Chevalier,  111-112 
Tuskegee,  118 

Utley,  G.  B.,  1 19-12 1 

Van  Brunt,  Henry,  101 
Van  Wyck,  Robert  A.,  19-21 
Varney,  Penn,  80 

Wallace,  Anne,  108 

Washington  County,  Md.,  104-107 

Weeks,  George  W.,  81,  82 

Wharton,  Joseph,  137 

Wheeler,  Benjamin  I.,  197 

White,  Horace,  14-16 

William  II,  Emperor,  136 


223 


INDEX   TO    PLATES 


Alameda,  Cal.,  204-205 
Allegheny,  Pa.,  12-13 
Amsterdam,  N.  Y.,  94,  95 
Anderson,    Col.    James,   monument, 

12-13;  portrait,  12-13 
Anderson  Library  Book-plate,  13 
Atlanta,     Ga.,     108-109;     Southern 

Library  School,  212-213 
Auditoriums:     Cedar     Rapids,     la., 

Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  213 

Baraboo,  Wis.,  164-165 
Beloit  College,  212-213 
Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  90 
Boys'  Reading  Fraternity,  Camden, 

N.  J.,  212-213 
Brooklyn  branches:  Bedford,  Carroll 

Park,  De  Kalb,  Flatbush,  68-69; 

Williamsburgh,  60-61 

Camden,  N.  J.,  Boys'  Reading  Fra- 
ternity, 212-213 

Carnegie,  Andrew:  frontispiece,  12, 
108-109 

Carnegie  Institute,  132 

Carnegie  Library,  Margaret,  at  Mills 
College,  212-213 

Cedar  Rapids,  la.,  213 

Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  116-117 

Chevenne,  Wy.,  188-189 

Cincinnati,    0.,    Walnut  Hills,   138- 

139 

Cleveland  (Ohio)  branches:  Broad- 
way, 142-143;  Home  Library- 
Group,  143;  Miles  Park,  140-141; 
Woodland,  140- 141 

Clinton,  Mass.,  76-77 

Colorado  Springs,  Col.,  188-189 

Dallas,  Texas,  181 
Darlington,  Wis.,  148-149 
Davenport,  la.,  1 70-1 71 

East  Orange,  N.  J.,  92-93 
Eldora,  la.,  172-173 
Elkhart,  Ind.,  148-149 


Freeport,  111.,  148-149 

Hagerstown,   Md.,  traveling  library 
wagon,  101 

Iowa  College,  212-213 

Jacksonville,  Fla.,  11 6-1 17 
Johnstown,  N.  Y.,  94-95 

Kaukauna,  Wis.,  164 


Leavenworth,  Kan.,  174-175 
Lehigh    Avenue,     Philadelphia, 

83 
Lincoln,  Neb.,  174-175 


82- 


Madison,  Wis.,  148-149 

Madison,  Wisconsin  Library  School, 

212-213 
Margaret    Carnegie    Library,    Mills 

College,  212-213 
Marshalltown,  la.,  172-173 
Melrose,  Mass.,  76-77 
Mills  College,  Cal.,  212-213 
Montgomery,  Ala.,  116-117 
Monticello,  la.,  172-173 

Nashville,  Tenn.,  116-117 

New  York  City  branches:  Chatham 
Square,  52-53;  Hudson  Park,  51; 
Kingsbridge,  N.  Y.,  60-61;  Mott 
Haven,  135th  Street,  125th  Street, 
52-53;  Port  Richmond,  S.  I., 
60-61;  Rivington  Street,  50;  67th 
Street,  79th  Street  (Yorkville), 
52-53;  suburban  branches,  60; 
Tottenville,  S.  I.,  60;  Washington 
Avenue,  Yorkville,  52-53 

Norfolk,  Va.,  116-117 

Norwalk,  Conn.,  70-71 

Oakland,  Cal.,  204-205 

Philadelphia,  82-83 
Pittsburg :   Carnegie  Institute,  East 
Liberty  Street,   Hazelwood,  home 


225 


INDEX   TO    PLATES 


library    group,    Lawrenceville,    li- 
brary club,   Jewish   quarter,    Mt. 
Washington,  West  End,  work  with 
children,  Wylie  Avenue,  132-133 
Pomona,  Cal.,  204-205 
Port  Huron,  Mich.,  148-149 

Riverside,  Cal.,  205 

San  Diego,  Cal.,  212 
San  Jose,  Cal.,  204 
Santa  Ana,  Cal.,  205 
Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  213 
Seattle,  Wash.,  Art  Room,  212-213 
Sedalia,  Mo.,  180 

Southern    Library   School,    Atlanta, 
Ga.,  212-213 


Springfield,  Mo.,  180-181 
Streator,  111.,  148-149 
Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  90-91 

Tacony,  Philadelphia,  82-83 

"The  Working  Man,"  39 

Traveling  libraries:  on  Seaboard  Air 

Line,    109;    Washington   County, 

Md.,  101 
Tucson,  Ariz.,  188 
Tuskegee,  Ala.,  116 

Washington,  D.  C,  100-101 
West  Philadelphia,  82-83 
Wisconsin  Library  School,  Madison, 
Wis.,  212-213 


226 


LIST    OF    PLATES 

Note.  —  The  figures  in  parentheses  give  the  amount  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  donation  to  the 
various  town  and  city  libraries  included  in  the  list.  In  some  cases  the  cost  of  the  building 
exceeded  this  amount  and  the  difference  was  paid  from  other  sources.  The  money  for  the 
branch  libraries  of  the  larger  cities  was  given  as  a  lump  sum,  and  the  cost  of  the  separate 
branches  is  therefore  not  given  in  the  subjoined  list.  The  names  of  the  architects  are  given 
in   italics. 

Andrew  Carnegie.     From  the  oil  painting  by  John  W.  Alexander 

Frontispiece 

1.  Mr.  Carnegie  in  his  private  library.    Photo  by  Miss  Frances  15.  Johnston 

2.  Colonel  James  Anderson.      From  an  oil  painting 

3.  Allegheny,  Pennsylvania Smithmyer  &r*  Pels 

City  Hall  Square  and  the  Carnegie  Library 
Monument  in  memory  of  Colonel  James  Anderson 

4.  Book-plate  of  the  Anderson  Library 

5.  Colonel  James  Anderson.     From  bust  by  D.  C.  French 

6.  "The  Working  Man."     From  the  model  by  D.    C.   French  for  the 

Anderson  memorial 

7.  New  York  City  Branches  : 

"  Rivington  Street.     Open-air  reading  room  and  roof-garden 

8.  "  Hudson  Park.      Two  views 

9.  "  125th  St.  and  135th  St.    .     .     .     McKim,  Mead  &*  White 

10.  "  125th  St.     Floor  plan 

11.  "  67th  St Babb.  Cook  Or3  Willard 

"  79th  St.      (Yorkville  Branch)     .      .     .    James  Brown  Lord 

12.  "  Yorkville  Branch.      Floor  plan 

13.  "  Chatham  Square.   Two  interior  views 

14.  "  "  ••  Floor  plans     McKim,  Mead  Or3  White 

15.  "  Mott  Haven Babb,  Cook  &r=  Willard 

"  Washington  Ave Carrere  Or*  Hastings 

16.  "  Mott  Haven.     Floor  plans 

17.  "  Suburban  Branches: 

"  Tottenville,  Staten  Island     .     .     .        Carrere  &■»  Hastings 

"  Kingsbridge.  New  York  .     .     .     McKim,  AfeadGr3  White 

"  Port  Richmond,  Staten  Island  .      .        Carrere  Sr3  Hastings 

18.  "  Port  Richmond  Branch.   Floor  plan 

19.  Brooklyn.     Williamsburgh  Branch.     Exterior 

and  auditorium Walker  &■*  Morris 

20.  "  Williamsburgh  Branch.   Floor  plan 

21.  "  Bedford  Branch Lord Ss^  Hewlett 

"  Flatbush  Branch R.  L.  Daus 

22.  <:  Bedford  Branch.      Floor  plan 

23.  "  Flatbush  Branch.      Charging  Desk 

and  Children's  Room 

24.  "  Flatbush  Branch.      Floor  plans 

25.  "  De   Kalb     Branch.      Exterior    and 

interior W.  B.   Tubby 

26.  "  De   Rail)  Branch.      Floor  plan 

V 


LIST    OF    PLATES 

27.  Brooklyn.  Carroll  Park  Branch.    Exterior  and 

interior W.  B.  Tubby 

28.  "  Carroll  Park  Branch.     Floor  plans 

29.  Melrose,  Mass.     Front  and  side  view.     ($25,000)  .     .      Penn  Varney 

30.  "  "  Floor  plans 

31.  Clinton,  Mass.     Bigelow  Library.      Exterior  and 

interior.      ($25,000)      .     .       Winslow  &r*  Bigelo-s 

32.  "  "  Floor  plans 

33.  Xorwalk,  Connecticut.     ($20,000) W.  &*  G.  Audsley 

34.  "  "  Floor  plan 

35.  Philadelphia  Branches: 

"  West  Philadelphia C.  C.  Zantzinger 

"  Lehigh  Avenue G.  IV.  &=  IV.  D.  Hewitt 

"  Tacony Lindley  Johnson 

36.  "  West  Philadelphia,  Lehigh  Ave., 

and  Tacony.     Interiors 

37.  Syracuse,  New  York.     ($200,000) James  A.  Randall 

Binghamton,  New  York      ($75,000)       .     .     .     S.  O.  &*  H.  A.  Lacey 

38.  Syracuse,  New  York.      Floor  plan 

39.  Johnstown.  New  York.      ($25,000) Fuller  &>  Pitcher 

Amsterdam,  New  York.     ($25.000) Fuller  &-»  Pitcher 

40.  Johnstown,  New  York.      Floor  plan 
Amsterdam,  New  York.      Floor  plan 

41.  East  Orange,  New  Jersey.     ($50,000)    .     .  Jardine,  Kent  Qr3  Jardine 

42.  "  "  Floor  plan 

43.  "  "  Two  interior  views 

44.  "  "  Basement  plan 

45.  Washington,  D.  C.     ($350,000) Ackerman  &*  Ross 

46.  "  Floor  plans 

47.  "  A  line  at  the  return  desk 
"                         Young  People's  Room 

48.  Hagerstown,     .Maryland.     Travelling     Library 

Wagon  from  the  Washington  Count)  Library 

49.  Atlanta,  Georgia.     ($175,000) Ackerman  &  Ross 

50.  '•  "  Floor  plan 

51.  "  "  Marble     bust    of     Andrew 

Carnegie Gaetano  Trentanove 

52.  "  "  Children's  Room 
Travelling  Libraries  carried  by  the  Seaboard 

Air  Line 

53.  Nashville,  Tennessee.     Exterior  and  interior. 

(5 100.000) Ackerman  &  Ross 

54.  ■•  "  Floor  plans 

55.  Chattanooga,  Tennessee      (550,000) R.  //■  Hunt 

Norfolk,  Virginia.     ($50,000) Herbert  D.  Hale  and 

Henry  G.  Morse 

56.  '"  "  Floor  plan 

57     Jacksonville,  Florida.     (>50,ooo) H.  J.  h'lutho 

"       Reading  Room  (for  colored 
patrons) 
58.  "  "        Floor  plans 

tgomery,  Alabama.     ($50,000) York  &*  Sawyer 

Tuskegee,    Alabama.      Library  of    Tuskegee 

Institute.     (525.000) A".  A'.  Taylor 

60.    Montgomery,  Alabama.      Floor  plan 

vi 


LIST    OF    PLATKS 

61.  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania 

Carnegie  Institute A I  den  6°  Harlow 

62.  "  Work  with  t lie  children  of  Pittsburg 

63.  "  East   Liberty  Street  Branch.       Ex- 

terior and  interior 

64.  "  East  Liberty  Street  branch.     Floor 

plan 

65.  "  Lawrenceville  Branch 

Work  among  colored  children,  Soho 
Hill 

66.  "  Lawrenceville  Branch.      Floor  plans 

67.  "  I  laze!  wood  Branch.     Children's 

Room 
6S.  "  Hazelwood  Branch.      Floor  plans 

69.  "  Mt.  Washington  Branch 

Library    club  work    in    the  Jewish 
quarter 

70.  "  Mt.    Washington    Branch.       Floor 

plans 

71.  ••  Wylie  Avenue  Branch 

Home  library  group 
J2.  "  Wylie  Avenue  Branch.      Floor  plan 

West  End  Branch.      Floor  plan 

73.  Cincinnati.     Walnut   Hills   Branch.       Exterior 

and  interior McLaughlin  £r»  Gilmore 

74.  Cincinnati.     Walnut    Hills    Branch.        Floor 

plans 

75.  Cleveland.      Broadway  Branch.      Exterior  and 

interior Charles  Morris 

{With  Lehman  &»  Schmidt) 

76.  Cleveland.   Broadway  Branch.   Children's  room 

"  Home  library  group 

77.  Cleveland.     Woodland  Branch.      Exterior  and 

interior //'.A'.  Watterson 

78.  Cleveland.    Woodland    Branch.       Floor  plan 

79.  Cleveland.     Miles  Park  Branch.    Exterior  and 

interior Edward  L,  Til  ton 

80.  Cleveland.     Miles  Park  Branch.    Floor  plans 

81.  Port  Huron,  Michigan.      Exterior  and  interior. 

($40,000) Patton  £-=  Miller 

82.  "  "  Floor  plans 

83.  Madison.  Wisconsin.     Exterior  and  interior         .       Frank  Miles  Day 

(575,000)  &■»  Brother 

84.  "  "  Floor  plans 

85.  Elkhart,  Indiana.    Two  exterior  views.    (540.000)    Wing  6-»  Mahurin 

86.  ••  '*  Floor  plan 

87.  Freeport,  Illinois.     ($30,000) Patton  &■  Miller 

Streator,  Illinois.     (535.000) Patton  6f"  Miller 

88.  "  "         Floor  plan 

89.  Darlington,  Wisconsin.    Exterior  and  interior. 

(5io,oco) Claude  &*  Starch 

90.  "  "  Floor  plans 

91.  Baraboo,  Wisconsin.     ($15,000)      ......    Claude  &*  Starch 

Kaukauna.  Wisconsin.      ($10,000)   .  ...     Claude  &*  Starch 

92.  Baraboo.  Wisconsin.      Floor  plans 

vii 


LIST    OF    PLATES 

93.  Monticello,  Iowa.     (5io,ooo) Patton  fir5  Miller 

Marshalltown,  Iowa.     (530,000) Patton  6r"  Miller 

94.  '•  "         Floor  plans 

95.  Eldora,  Iowa.     Exterior  and  interior.     (510.000)    .     Patton  &-=  Miller 

96.  "  "  Floor  plan 
Monticello,  Iowa.     Floor  plan 

97.  Davenport.  Iowa.    Exterior  and  interior.    ($75,000)     Calvin  Kiessling 

98.  "  "  Floor  plan 

99.  Leavenworth,  Kansas.     ($25,000) M.  R.  Sanguinet 

Lincoln.  Nebraska.     ($75,000) Fislicr  &r°  Lawrie 

.    Leavenworth,  Kansas.     Floor  plan 
Lincoln,  Nebraska.     Floor  plan 

.    Springfield,  .Missouri.     (550,000) Patton  &*  Miller 

Sedalia.  Missouri       ($50,000)       .      .      .      Manran,  Russell  S°  Garden 
[02.    Springfield,  Missouri.     Floor  plans 

[03.    Dallas.  Texas.     (550,000) M.  R.  Sanguinet 

Fort  Worth,  Texas.     ($50.000) Herbert  H.  Green 

(04.    Dallas.  Texas.     Floor  plans 

105.  Cheyenne,  Wyoming.      (550.000)      .     .      .      Patton,  Fisher  &  Miller 
Tucson,  Arizona.     ($25,000) George  C.  Frost 

106.  Cheyenne.  Wyoming.      Floor  plans 

[07.    Colorado  Springs.  Colorado.     (56o.ooo)    ....     Calvin  Kiessling 
[08.  "  ■•  il  First  floor  plan 

[09.    Oakland,  California.      ($50.000) Bliss  Sp»  Faville 

San  Jose.  California.     (550.000) William  Binder 

10.  Oakland,  California.     Reading  Room 

11.  Pomona,  California.      (515,000) Burnham  cr"  Bliesner 

Alameda,  California.      (535.000) Curtis  &■»  Wilcox 

12.  Riverside,  California.      (520.000) Bitrnham  &■»  Bliesner 

Santa  Ana.  California.      (515.000) Dennis  &*  Farwell 

13.  San  Diego,  California.     Exterior  and  interior. 

($60,000)     ....       Ackerman  Or1  Ross 

14.  Art    Room  in  Public  Library,  Seattle,  Wash- 

ington        P-J-  Weber 

15.  Boys  Reading  Fraternity.  Camden.  New  Jersey 

16.  Auditorium  in  Free  Public  Library,  Schenec- 

tady, New  York 
Auditorium    in    Free   Public    Library,    Cedar 
Rapids,  Iowa 

17.  Margaret    Carnegie    Library,    Mills    College, 

California.     (51N.400) Julia  Morgan 

18.  Beloit  College  Library.     ($50,000) Patton  i-3  Miller 

Iowa  College  Library.     ($50,000) Hallett  Sr*  Rawson 

19.  Southern    Library  School.      Carnegie  Library, 

Atlanta.  Georgia 

20.  Wisconsin     Library    School.      Free     Library, 

Madison,   Wisconsin.     Two  views 


Vlll 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

305  De  Neve  Drive  -  Parking  Lot  17  •  Box  951388 

LOS  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA  90095-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library  from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


■I 


UNIV    OF  SOUTHERN  CALIF    LIBRARY 


3  1275  00408  2013 


AA  000  598  998  3 


Library  S&efm 

Z 

679 
K75 
1917 


University 

of 

Southern  California 

LIBRARY 


^ 


